Loop Pool Tejo

Loop Pool Tejo is an urban swimming pool proposal on the Tagus River in Lisbon, designed jointly by X Atelier and Atelier BAUM. Although Lisbon lies close to the sea, the city lacks facilities connecting residents to the river, and on the hottest days the large nearby beaches become overcrowded. The project aims to satisfy an immediate swimming need in the city centre without hours of traffic. The circular loop pool echoes the expanding ripples of a water drop and, starting from an existing pier, accommodates a self-filtering river pool, an open-air amphitheatre and sunbathing areas, together with direct access to the river for paddling and rowing. The project redevelops the existing Braco de Prata floating pier as a platform linking city to river, using existing on-site containers to house the pool's various functions. The architecture is sculptural: a concrete-piled structure continuous with the pier that floats on the water, establishing an analogy between the practical, rigid form of the existing dock and the inherent fluidity of the river. The circle is the project's core, outlining the pool and forming a looped, Mobius-like sculpture that meets the river on multiple levels. On the north side the building rises into a west-facing solarium and amphitheatre, with radial steps like ripples from a water drop. On the south side, away from the noise of the pool, a second slope defines a resting and seating area with direct access to the river for rowing or stand-up paddleboarding; at its highest point a diving platform adds a youthful, playful atmosphere. At pool-water level, a second loop passes beneath the slope, creating a shaded rest area that protects users from the strong Lisbon sun. Loop Pool Tejo offers Lisbon residents a unique waterfront leisure facility and, through its innovative, multi-functional design, fuses city and nature into a richer daily life. Project details are limited in the source material.