17/02/2014
Pálava in Southern Moravia in Czech Republic is not just a great place for strolls in nature and getting to know Moravian wines! A huge water park with the largest amount of indoor attractions in the country was built.
The swimming pools with geothermal water at temperatures up to 46˚C include the widest range of water slides and extreme water games; for wellness lovers there is a sauna, massages, jacuzzi and lots of hydromineral procedures. The complex also includes restaurants, shops and parking.
Construction
The first Czech thermal complex, as Moravia’s biggest water park is also known, took just one year and a quarter to build. During this time a fully functional recreational center, 12 swimming pools, 20 chutes and slides, a restaurant, bars, a wellness zone and further water attractions rose on an area nearly the size of ten football fields. Many of the attractions are the only ones of their kind and took sophisticated capabilities and a great deal of patience to build. Simply developing the architectural plans and accompanying documentation was relatively difficult. Precise coordination was needed to keep every detail of the challenging project in harmony. The design of the structure with its scattered attractions has a very airy feel and seamlessly links interior with exterior.
Sika ComfortFloor Interiors
Designing the interiors was an integral part of the project. Given the nature of the project, it was important that the surfaces be not just esthetically pleasing, but also fully functional. The need to keep all parts in perfect harmony gave rise to special requests for the color and function of the floors. Sika® ComfortFloor® was used in the restaurant and bar area.
The polyurethane resin screed system’s attributes and tread characteristics make it ideal for surfaces where many users will be barefoot. Warm colors were chosen to give the interior a pleasing finish. The Sika® ComfortFloor® polyurethane system was also used in the locker rooms, where it ideally complements and lends a sense of warmth to floors with a more subdued feel. The functional requirements and easy maintenance made it an easy choice for this area. Sika flooring systems were also used for service areas and stairways, primarily for their mechanical and chemical durability and easy maintenance characteristics.
Walls
The architects’ design for the interior walls was an important element of the project.
OSB (Oriented Strand Board) wall panels give the surface a distinctive appearance that enlivens visitor areas with a natural irregularity. The edges of the walls, by contrast, are left smooth, creating a visual frame around the OSB surfaces. Coated with Sikagard®-675 W ElastoColor colored coating, this frame harmonizes with the color of the floor. The concrete surfaces look like OSB elements and are protected by a layer of Sikagard®-680 S transparent protective coating.
Harmonised Details
The carefully harmonized details of each structure and surface are a key factor in the pleasing overall impression left by the interior. A nearby ancient Roman archeological site is a point of interest, now complemented by a new wellness center in the style of a Roman bath. The building as a whole offers entirely new recreational opportunities in the region and is successfully serving guests.
Ancient Roman Baths
Aqualand Moravia was built right on the site of the ancient Roman baths at Novomlýnské nádrží. Roman baths were part of the day-to-day life in Ancient Rome. These Roman houses had water supplied via lead pipes. However, these pipes were taxed according to their size; many houses just had a basic supply and could not hope to rival a bath complex. Therefore for personal hygiene, people went to the local baths. The local bath complex was also a gathering point and served a very useful community and social function. Here people could relax, keep clean and keep up with the latest news.
Taking a bath at that time was not a simple chore. There was not only one bath to use in a large complex. A visitor could use a cold bath a warm bath and a hot bath (the caldarium). A visitor would spend some of his time in each one before leaving. A large complex would also contain an exercise area, a swimming pool and a gymnasium.
The building of a bath complex required excellent engineering skills. Baths required a way of heating up water. This was done by using a furnace and the hypocaust system carried the heat around the complex.