Play is an essential feature of humanity, and sport formalizes this play in a social space. This course is an examination of the spatial and architectural features of sport and leisure.

Sport is a central aspect of our society, as it has been for millennia. Both the ancient Egyptians and Greeks afforded a prominent place to sport, and throughout history, it has provided a space for both participation and spectatorship. From the most casual of games to the cutthroat world of professional sports, it provides its participants with excitement, confrontation, competition and personal challenge. For the spring 2022 semester, the topic is swimming. 

Swimming is perhaps as old as walking, but it did not become a sport in itself until the 19th century. The first buildings for swimming were built in England in the 1830’s. While most early European swimmers used a breaststroke, native Americans introduced the overhand crawl, known to many indigenous populations. The development of this technique allowed for much longer swims, and by the late 18th Century, adventurers were swimming the Hellespont (4k) and even the English Channel (32k). An interest in the health-bringing effects of a cold dip spurred the creation of ocean baths, from the many that studded the edge of the Oslofjord, to the kallbad of the western Swedish coast. Modernism saw the emergence of the avant-garde facility at sites such as Ingierstrand and Hvalstrand. 

This course is an exploration of the spatial and architectural features of swimming as a basis for designing an ocean bathing facility today. Initial research will focus on spatio-historical case studies through models and drawing. The project task will be the design of a swimming facility in the Oslofjord.