SILO + kraaijvanger architects' whales welcome guests to rotterdam's aquatics center

a new vibrant community hub is emerging in the southern part of the dutch city of rotterdam. the first completed project of the urban development project is the aquatics center ‘zwemcentrum rotterdam’, a venue for professional athletes as well as the people of rotterdam. SILO, together with kraaijvanger architects, created a surprising, welcoming, and safe entrance area.

the full mosaic
image © SILO

in the years to come, the construction of new public buildings and the redevelopment of the public space will result in a metamorphosis of the area around zuidplein and ahoy. it will become a place where residents, visitors, and entrepreneurs truly can feel at home. one of the most important changes is the conversion of the former municipal office building into the aquatics center.

the graphic design for the mosaic integrated into the architecture
image © SILO

featuring an olympic-sized pool and a multi-use short course, the center offers all the facilities that professional athletes need but also caters to recreational swimmers. the public space around the center will have a pleasant and inviting appearance. the building entrance requires special attention: as a visitor, you enter the aquatics center into an unmanned hall with a staircase and elevator. the ticketing desks, catering facilities, and access to the pools are only located on the upper level. how do you ensure that visitors feel welcome, but also secure in the entrance hall? SILO and kraaijvanger chose to connect the aquatics center and its visitors with an idiosyncratic welcome.

the entrance to the aquatics center
all images courtesy of thijs wolzak unless stated otherwise

‘for the walls of the entrance hall, we created a singular image which combines hand-drawn illustrations with 3d-manipulated graphics,’ says rene toneman, creative director at silo. ‘most of the elements in the image you would expect in a swimming pool: sport and games, lane ropes, ceramic tiles, water movement, and reflection. however, in that playful amalgamation of elements, three enormous whales appear; giant but good-natured. a welcoming intervention that is surreal, yet very appropriate.’

the whales accompany visitors up the stairs

the friendly and courteous whales greet the visitors and act as watchful giants. psychological research shows that images of eyes can have a positive effect on security. where cameras make supervision explicit, the whales’ big eyes can induce more pro-social behavior in a natural way. with their observant gaze, they literally keep an eye on the unmanned entrance area. strict requirements apply to swimming pools when it comes to the safety and durability of materials. the iconic image was therefore realized as an innovative pixel-perfect mosaic of 160m², consisting of 967,375 tiles. in its entirety, the mosaic applies identity of the swimming pool and enhances the visitor experience of the entrance area. 

the whales literally keep an eye on the entrance area

the wall of the entrance area interfaces with views on the swimming pools

the whales are an appropriate intervention: giant but good-natured

the friendly and courteous whales greet the visitors and encourage the pro-social behavior

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edited by: maria erman | designboom