|
Historic
San Diego Swimming Pool “The Plunge” Gets
a
Beautiful New Home from OpenAire
|
Oakville,
Ontario – October 2016 / Newsmaker Alert / One of San Diego, California’s
most iconic swimming pools will soon have a beautiful new enclosure, thanks
in part to the innovative retractable and skylight firm OpenAire.
The Plunge, a historic San Diego swimming pool in Mission Beach’s Belmont
Park, has been closed for renovations and repairs, which will include a
brand new curved-roof retractable enclosure, measuring 103’-7” by 203’-11
3/4”, with one full gable end and one upper gable end, built by OpenAire.
One end of the enclosure is connected to an existing athletic club which
is also being renovated and renamed FIT Athletic Club. To accommodate the
club, OpenAire is constructing a 25’ wide two-story mezzanine within the
enclosure, which runs the entire 203’ length.
Developer
Pacifica Enterprises decided to construct a new enclosure for the facility
when maintenance revealed that the 91-year-old pool required extensive
repairs to the steel framed, lead painted structure. Dan Hayden, Director
of Engineering for Pacifica stated, “The pool has had to endure a marine
environment on the outside and a humid environment on the inside,” noting
neither condition was favorable to the conventional materials used in the
old building, which he said, “was literally disintegrating”. Renovations
will restore the pool’s floor with tiles that are faithful to its original
design, while OpenAire’s new freestanding enclosure will allow visitors
to experience this historic pool in an entirely new way.
OpenAire’s
unique all aluminum, maintenance-free frame will withstand both the harsh
interior and exterior environments that attacked the previous structure.
The retractable enclosure solution will include 12 curved roof bays measuring
16 feet on center and stretching across the width of the building, 10 of
which will have motorized operable panels that can open and close at the
touch of a button. These bays will let in the direct sunshine and fresh
air of warm days, while also providing shelter from cool or inclement weather.
Whether open or closed, the polycarbonate panels will provide ample natural
light, letting swimmers feel like they are in an outdoor pool in any weather.
In combination with the opening roof, the vertical walls incorporate motorized
windows and doors including four 11’ x 9’ high glass upward doors, ten
13’ x 8’ high double hung windows and fifteen 13’ x 4’ high pivot windows,
to let in cross breezes and enhance the natural ventilation. The result
will be a revolutionary open atmosphere that still maintains the original
look of The Plunge.
“This
design is going to give an amazing new experience to everyone who loves
Belmont Park,” says Mark Albertine, President and CEO of OpenAire, “We
are working closely with Belmont Park and their development partners to
make sure these new renovations stay true to the spirit of The Plunge.
OpenAire’s enclosure integrates perfectly with the building next to it.
There is a flat roof section at one end of our enclosure, which FIT Athletic
Club’s architects designed with us so that the two buildings match seamlessly.
It’s a great example of how OpenAire is equipped to adapt our designs to
our clients’ specific needs.”
The
Plunge first opened to the San Diego community in 1925 and was at the time
the largest salt water pool in the world. It includes many distinctive
features, which the renovators are working to preserve. In particular,
the famous Wyland whaling mural on the south wall will be fully restored
and cast in vibrant sunlight from the glazed operable roof above. The reopened
pool will also use fresh water with a modern filtration system that requires
far fewer chemicals than before. OpenAire’s thermally broken aluminum frame
will resist corrosion from all remaining chemicals and moisture, ensuring
that The Plunge can continue offering an aquatic retreat to San Diego for
decades to come. The renovation is sure to be a winning solution for everyone.
About
OpenAire
OpenAire
has been designing and manufacturing beautiful, high-quality, environmentally
conscious retractable roof structures and skylights for over 25 years.
We bring unique visions to life from initial design to installation, transforming
buildings into sunlit spaces customers love. Our 1,000 commercial projects
include Zehnder’s Splash Village in Frankenmuth MI; Restoration Hardware
“RH Gallery” in Chicago IL; Aqua Sferra Water Park (the biggest aluminum
dome in the world) in Donetsk, Ukraine; Kalahari in Pocono Mountains PA;
Tropicana Water Park in Stadthagen, Germany; the Rooftop Bar at the Refinery
Hotel in New York NY; and the Palms Casino & Resort in Las Vegas NV.
Headquartered
in Oakville, Ontario, OpenAire has worked throughout Canada, the United
States, Europe (the United Kingdom, Germany and France), Azerbaijan, Russia,
the Republic of Georgia, the United Arab Emirates, and Ukraine. To learn
more about OpenAire Inc.’s projects and capabilities, visit www.openaire.com
and follow us on Twitter. For
more details on this project, please e-mail sales@openaire.com.
Contact:
David
Bolwerk
Vice
President, Sales and Marketing
905-901-8535 |
