San Fernando de Henares Municipal Pool

If you've ever flown in or out of Barajas airport then you've flown over this building, which lies south east of runways 33 left and right. The building also forms the main entrance (which is unusually wide and generous - with ramps to accommodate the different existing levels) to the other two building which form the municipal sports complex. The exterior of the pool hall takes the concept of the stretched checkerboard screen, first seen in the Zamora museum, and scales up the idea, using concrete instead of timber. This basket (as the architects describe it) acts as a veil to the glazed pool hall behind, cutting down solar gain and glare off the water. Due to the high ground water table, the pool itself is raised above grade, giving the swimmers an unusually elevated standpoint.