Part of:

People:

Alvaro Siza (archive creator)
Alvaro Siza (architect)

Title:

Piscina de "Görlitzer Bad" Kreuzberg, Berlim Oeste [Görlitzer Bad swimming pool], Berlin, Germany (1978-1979)

Date:

1978-1979

Level of archival description:
Project

Extent and medium:

66 drawings (including 39 reprographic copies)
18 photographic materials
0.02 linear metres of textual documentation

Scope and content:
The project series documents the 1979 design entry for the Görlitzer Bad swimming pool. While the records were held in the office’s archives this project was assigned the number 48/70; in the past the office identified the project as number 159. The office assigned the date 1979 for this project. This project was submitted to the International Architectural Exhibition Berlin competition (International Bauaustellung, IBA, circa 1979-1987), an urban renewal strategy for West Berlin, Germany. Siza would later submit proposals to the IBA for Block 70 and 89 (Fränkelufer residential complex), Block 121 (Bonjour Tristesse), Block 11-12 (Kottbusser Damm), Monument to Gestapo victims Prinz- Albrecht-Palais, and a proposal for the Kulturforum.

The Görlitzer Bad swimming pool was Siza's first international project and first competition. Preceding the IBA competition, Siza attended the 1976 International Design Zentrum (IDZ) symposium in Berlin, "Stadtstruktur-Stadtgestalt". Brigitte Fleck, responsible for national and international architecture competitions for the Senate of Berlin (1971-1985), invited Siza to participate in the IBA competition to design the swimming pool for Kreuzberg. Fleck had heard of Siza’s participation in the IDZ symposium and became interested in Siza’s work with the Servicio Ambulatorio de Apio Lokal (SAAL). By this time Siza’s work with SAAL had been published in the December 1976 and March 1978 publications of the Lotus International Quarterly Architectural Review (numbers 13 and 18). Fleck felt that Siza's work with SAAL would be relevant to the IBA.

In 1979, Siza entered his design for the Görlitzer Bad swimming pool to be built on a vacant area on the east side of Kreuzberg. The design for the pool was strongly opposed by the public because the dome over the main swimming pool was said to resemble a mosque. This area of Kreuzberg was largely populated by Turkish Muslims and there was hostility towards this immigrant community. Although Siza’s entry went through the first round of the IBA competition, it did not win the competition and was only awarded a special prize.

The project series contains sketches and studies, as well as conceptual and design development drawings of elevations, site plans, and floor plans. Documentation for the competition includes site plans for the competition and a strata plan. The photographs, negatives, contact sheets, and slides mostly document the model and drawings for the project.

Reference number:

AP178.S1.1979.PR02

Arrangement:
Materials in this project series were compiled from multiple accessions. Materials within each accession were arranged by Álvaro Siza’s office and have been kept in this order.

Location:

Berlin Germany

Credit line:
When citing the collection as a whole, use the citation: Álvaro Siza fonds, Collection Centre Canadien d’Architecture/Canadian Centre for Architecture, Montréal. When citing specific collection material, please refer to the object’s specific credit line

Language of material:

German
Portuguese

Related units of description:

Sketches related to the swimming pool are included in sketchbooks 29 and 46 also held at the CCA. See series AP178.S2 of the Álvaro Siza fonds for more information on the sketchbooks.