In this age of rapid developments, more architecture firms have resorted to the method of adapt-and-reuse — a sustainable approach to repurposing unused structures.

Recently, Dominique Coulon et Associés, a French architecture firm, have inserted openings for light to an original concrete building. They also enhanced the original two swimming pools and bleachers with a synchronizing blue color that unites the interior space. On the exterior, grey concrete were applied onto the extension to expand the old building's facade and create a continuous conversation between the old and the new. The children's area is doubled in height with curved walls, resulting in a spacious area that holds a different spatial quality. At the resting area, there is an organically shaped opening that provides a visual connection to the private garden.

The minimal approach that the architects have adopted to the original structures, was what captivated me so much in the first place. The clean division of blue and white, and the play of curved and geometric lines, engulf this swimming complex with different pockets of space. In my opinion, such a simple change to the interior can cause a big direction of change in the usage of a building — successfully done so in this case by Dominique Coulon et Associés.

Photography courtesy of Clement Guillaume & David Romero-Uzeda.