BUILDING ON COMMUNITY
STUDIO 03
INSTRUCTOR: JANINE DEBANNE
Champagne Baths is Ottawa's first municipal swimming pool and it has a rich history in the Lowertown community. As such, it was imperative for the nature of Champagne Baths renewal to be non-invasive to maintain the historical integrity of the pre-existing structure. In the site visit, the striking juxtaposition between the lightness of the 1980s sunroom addion and the darkness of the rest of the building was noted immediately. This contrast was so striking that it became a focal point for the new proposal. The redesign features a light gallery that works as an important junction between the old and the new. It is an experiential ascension from the base of the new pool into the base of the old pool, a procession that is facilitated by light.
