Photo by Michael Schultz courtesy of Dewberry
Theming is common within aquatic centers, but the Village of Romeoville Aquatic Center presents a truly immersive visual experience. Designers suspended 10 alternately undulating blue and teal powder-coated aluminum ribbons from the ceiling deck with non-corrosive alloy line and stainless steel fasteners. They then hung 70 clear acrylic spheres in 12-, 18- and 24-inch diameters slightly lower to give users the sensation of being amid bubbles beneath a wave-filled water surface. The wave ribbons measure 4 feet wide by 58 feet long, with each composed of 12 separate 24-by-116-inch modules. Ribbon colors coordinate perfectly with a tube slide and other features — right down to the pool tile and decking — further enhancing the sense of immersion. “They did not want a vanilla box,” architect Jeff Keppler, a market segment leader at Dewberry, says of village representatives. “They wanted the pool to be a whole cohesive atmosphere and environment.” They also wanted a visual connection to an exterior splashpad, which led designers to incorporate enough glass in opposite corners of the aquatic center to suggest an aquarium. “We took the idea of light entering the space, how light interacts with water, and how it feels when you’re swimming underneath the water. What is your perception? We started developing these ideas of looking up to the ceiling as though you’re swimming while submerged.” As for Dewberry’s clients? “They were looking to be different than their competitors, to really create a space that people enjoy coming to and feel good in, and with these elements we were able to achieve that.”
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Theming is common within aquatic centers, but the Village of Romeoville Aquatic Center presents a truly immersive visual experience. Designers suspended 10 alternately undulating blue and teal powder-coated aluminum ribbons from the ceiling deck with non-corrosive alloy line and stainless steel fasteners. They then hung 70 clear acrylic spheres in 12-, 18- and 24-inch diameters slightly lower to give users the sensation of being amid bubbles beneath a wave-filled water surface. The wave ribbons measure 4 feet wide by 58 feet long, with each composed of 12 separate 24-by-116-inch modules. Ribbon colors coordinate perfectly with a tube slide and other features — right down to the pool tile and decking — further enhancing the sense of immersion. “They did not want a vanilla box,” architect Jeff Keppler, a market segment leader at Dewberry, says of village representatives. “They wanted the pool to be a whole cohesive atmosphere and environment.” They also wanted a visual connection to an exterior splashpad, which led designers to incorporate enough glass in opposite corners of the aquatic center to suggest an aquarium. “We took the idea of light entering the space, how light interacts with water, and how it feels when you’re swimming underneath the water. What is your perception? We started developing these ideas of looking up to the ceiling as though you’re swimming while submerged.” As for Dewberry’s clients? “They were looking to be different than their competitors, to really create a space that people enjoy coming to and feel good in, and with these elements we were able to achieve that.”
