VELODROME AND OLYMPIC SWIMMING POOL

Inside, every geometric detail contributes to the choreography of the spaces. A row of industrial spotlights focused on a gallery, a line of swimming lanes, a hedge of metal grid tiles, black and white edges in the changing rooms marking the walls, a succession of wooden seats—the entire geometry of the space is in competition. The velodrome sits in the middle of a semicircle of glass facades. The combination of circles and stripes is repeated on the ceilings of the corridors, where round light fixtures are embedded in perforated metal plates that absorb noise pollution. Metal and concrete staircases organize the flow of athletes and spectators. The Olympic pool is reminiscent of the insular look of 1960s sanatoriums. Blue and pink, the predominant colors, exist in isolation and sometimes merge when the color of the pool meets the raw concrete of a corridor or the gray that covers the facades of the circulation spaces. This synchronized swimming of shapes and colors continues in geometry with the diving board. Built like scaffolding, with bridges and walkways, this architectural sculpture evokes the setting of West Side Story, made famous by Maria and Tony’s love scene. As in the movie, the acoustics of the venue are precise, softened by the slanted orientation of the glass walls around the bleachers. In the musical, each of the protagonists climbs up and down the stairs: a kind of choreographed chase. It also resembles a swimming competition.