Bad Königshofen ? located in Bavaria, Germany ? has been the city of Arlington?s sister city since 1952. Because Bad K?nigshofen is known for its natural mineral baths and health resorts (?bad? means ?bath? in German), the city?s name was a natural choice for Arlington?s new aquatic facility.
Fostering the sister-city relationship did not require designers to create a Bavarian-themed aquatic facility. Rather, the design response drew inspiration from the Texas hill country?s significant German immigrant heritage. An agrarian-styled project using regional materials emerged, which helped avoid the visual noise of the typically bright colors often seen in aquatic facilities.
The staff and ticketing building is styled as a finished-out grain bin and partially clad in stone to give it a timeworn feel. The bathhouse and concessions building resembles a farmhouse, complete with a back porch and a ?dog run? designed to channel breezes. The water play features were conceived as a ?pipe farm,? and were simply left as exposed stainless steel instead of being painted. A custom wood and rope fence and waterfall separates the bodies of water, as well as the teen and children?s areas. The waterslide tower uses a derrick-type structure instead of standard support poles. Rather than purchasing stock units from a catalog, designers created custom shade structures to complement the agrarian theme.
