OVAVERVA indoor swimming pool, spa and sports centre St. Moritz

Water is the only chemical compound, which occurs in nature in liquid, gaseous and solid form. Guests can enjoy two aggregate states of this precious resource in the OVAVERVA Pool, Spa & Sports Centre St. Moritz all year round: At the indoor swimming pool in liquid form for plunging and swimming, splashing and sliding. In the sauna complex in gaseous form for inhalation and relaxation. And for those who also take pleasure from the solid form: ski slopes, cross-country skiing and winter hiking trails are to be found right at our doorstep.

It started with a vision: the new venue in St. Moritz should not only be an indoor pool with swimming- and diving pools, for children and for fun, but also a Sports and Recreational Centre offering wellness and gastronomy, outdoor activities and retail space. Locals and tourists should receive a place for health and fitness, fun and conviviality, tranquillity and relaxation. The focus was set on three things:
Social benefit: increasing the quality of the location as a residential and tourist resort
Economical benefit: good ratio between effort and reward in investment and operation
Environmental benefits: sustainable energy use

In addition to these practical requirements, an extraordinary architecture should also create a unique, visual highlight. The building should appear bright and welcoming to visitors and blend harmoniously into the surrounding landscape despite its modern appearance. Intensive preparations followed in which professionals from various specialized fields were involved.

Conclusion: The demanding and sometimes conflicting requirements have been met. The OVAVERVA concept, designed by architect consortium Bearth & Deplazes and Morger + Dettli, is spread over four floors and includes all the necessary infrastructure for such a complex venue.

The entrance level of the OVAVERVA is a high columned hall with reception, information and outdoor sports store. From here, access is provided to the fitness centre, the restaurant, the pool area and to the wellness level. Through a spacious indoor window, visitors can see the staircase located in the centre of the building leading up to the pool level. Sunlight hits the staircase through a skylight in the roof. The locker rooms can be reached by passing the fitness centre along the gallery. The gym is equipped with a wall of mirrors, a light strip and a special lighting concept.

The technics level is designed as a "blind floor". This means that it is only accessible internally and is not perceived by visitors. The stairways and elevators lead from the locker room level directly and without stopping through the service floor to the pool area and the restaurant.

The pool area is built like a covered outdoor terrace. A generous glass front offers sweeping views of the various basins and the surrounding landscape. Vice versa, sunlight passes deep into the pool areas. The individual basins are placed in high ceiling chambers, while the connecting areas feature lower room heights. Here, visitors find the entrance to the spectacular funtower with three different slides. In addition, the bistro or the public restaurant with sun terrace and seating offer plain sight to the children's paddling and non-swimmer pool.

The wellness floor is "hidden" below the roof of the temple - an intimate and peaceful inner world. Protected from plain sight but with magnificent views of the Upper Engadine mountainscape. In the centre is the lingering zone, which receives day- and sunlight from the skylight of the central staircase. Here, visitors explore a wide range of revitalizing treatments and relaxing therapies. A particular feature is the ladies spa with bio sauna, a Finnish sauna and private relaxation room with a stunning view of the Kurpark and upstream to the Maloja pass.