Another cool pool

This Jean Nouvel project is a swimming pool complex in Le Havre – and this time he tackled the lighting (OK, Yann Kersalé did the outside…)

There’s no shortage of light at Les Bains des Docks in Le Havre. The interior of the building – designed, like the Danish Radio concert hall, by Jean Nouvel – is predominantly white and flooded with daylight. But that is not to say that there is no place for artificial lighting.

From the outside, the unassuming building resembles a warehouse, and its dark exterior belies the bright, spacious interior.

Four pools
Swimmers have a choice of four pools: a 50 by 21 metre pool outside and three themed pools inside. Each interior pool has a different purpose – play, recreation or swimming – and a water temperature suitable for that activity. The interior pools are separated by walled areas and waterfalls.

The result is a striking space that appears uniformly and brightly lit at all times

Daylight is the dominant light source, with electric light fittings used only to balance the overall effect and to emphasise the surfaces of basins, walls and ceilings. Architectural elements such as openings in ceilings or pillars are more strongly illuminated to lend them an airy lightness.

This approach dictated the extensive use of concealed fittings. For example, to illuminate the swimming pools, symmetrical WE-EF FLC141 floodlights fitted with 150W metal halide lamps are built into the walls. Their narrow beam distribution is reflected off similarly concealed mirrors to accent the walls and floors.

Pool floods
Large rectangular casings above the central swimming pools and the children’s pool are equipped with up to 16 WE-EF FLC141 floodlights, also with 150W metal halide lamps. The medium beam distribution of the floods highlights the surface of the water with soft light that appears to glide over the water.

Finally, the traffic and circulation areas are discreetly lit from light channels in the walls and ceilings. At first glance, bathers are unlikely to realise that this light comes from an artificial source.

The result is a striking space that appears uniformly and brightly lit at all times, and stands in stark contrast to Peter Zumthor’s recent alpine “bath house”, with its labyrinth of dark spaces and black stone.

Project details

Project: Bains des Docks, Le Havre
Lighting designer: Odile Soudant, Ateliers Jean Nouvel (interior), Yann Kersalé (exterior)
Architect: Julie Fernandez and Felix Medina, Ateliers Jean Nouvel
Principal supplier: WE-EF
Photos: WE-EF Leuchten/Roland Halbe, Stuttgart