Coastlands Aquatic Centre

Completed in 2013, the $18m aquatic centre is located on a greenfield site adjacent to the District Council offices and new library in Paraparaumu. The facility is a long-awaited and major sporting development for the district and replaced the ageing Raumati Pool. The design, a collaborative effort with LHT Design, sees the building’s main form over the pool hall to be a transparent EFTE foil roof supported by a timber gridshell. This gives the impression of outdoor swimming, but in fact creates a controlled environment all year round. By contrast, the remaining amenity and service spaces are housed within relatively simple, self-contained and insulated boxes to the front and rear of the pool hall. Aquatic facilities include a 25m, 10-lane lap pool with a rise and fall floor, 160 spectator seats, learners and toddlers pools and twin hydroslides. Additional facilities include a spa pool, sauna, change and service spaces, plus a multi-purpose space, commercial space, external courtyards and car parking. The possibility of a future stage has been accommodated in the design that would contain a 50m competition pool, a hydrotherapy pool and additional change and service spaces to complete the long term vision for the district.