Athens Outdoor Pool

Athens, OH
Construction Cost: $7 million
Area / Square Feet: 5,425 square feet 4.3 acre site
Occupancy Date: June 2018

The Athens City Pool project was a complete replacement of the city’s outdoor community pool. Located near the Hocking River, the project site was first regraded and built up so that the new pool would be above the flood plain.

Pool amenities were developed through a series of community engagement workshops. The new outdoor pool includes a zero-entry leisure pool, an eight-lane lap pool with a dive well, and a separate toddler pool. The complex also includes a splashpad and a slide tower with two run-out slides. Two new support buildings include a main building, located near the parking lot and bike path, that serves as the entrance into the pool complex. The curving canopy reflects the movement of the adjacent Hocking River, identifies the main entry and creates a central axis on the site. The main building also houses restroom facilities, a check-in counter, offices and a flexible community room. The design of the community room allows for year-round rental opportunities, with direct access to the pool and splashpad.

A second building, located near the back of the site, includes the pool mechanical room, storage, a life guard room, concessions and additional restrooms. The project has large shade umbrellas, new fencing, site lighting, landscaping and a reworked parking lot. The bike racks, the splashpad, the Athens Block entry pavers, and the architectural style of the building were all designed to capture the “Essence of Athens.”