Pool of the Rifles

현대카드 배구단 복합 트레이닝 센터

Year of Completion: 2014

Location: Cheonan, Korea

Client: Hyundai Capital

Located within a two hour drive from Seoul, the site is located in the midst of a typical Korean rural landscape: rolling hills, rice fields, and a nearby reservoir. The site is located on a slope inclined to the reservoir. When the design team was brought to the project, the client was in the midst of constructing a very large multi- training facility that would offer everything a professional athlete could want- a place for training, relaxation, rehabilitation, medical treatment, and other services. As we were invited to the project when more than half of the architectural design was already accomplished, we were given a very limited budget for the landscape. Given that situation, we decided to design a simple but powerful program that would generate a multifaceted impact. 

To create an impressive landscape with a minimal program that did not interfere with the peaceful surroundings, we laid out a water body responding to the reservoir that is visible to the west. While we did not want the features to overwhelm the whole atmosphere, we wanted to create an effect which would suggest that the surface of the existing topography was thinly peeling off, as if revealing an underlying water table. Earthworks constructed along the periphery of the site give a rippling appearance, allowing the site to seamlessly flow into the surrounding landscape while also serving as a means of enclosure. Like the water body, the landforms are thus a conceptual condensation of the adjacent topography of rolling hills. 

To the left from the main entrance, the reservoir can be seen lying at the bottom of the hill. From that point one can hear the roaring sound of water. The training facility lies to the right of the main entrance, and the Pool of Riffles- the origin of the sound– gradually appears between the small hills as one moves toward the facility. When the water is on, the individual streamlined shape of expanded metal sheets becomes a mold, and the thousand of riffles are gathered into a magnificent cascade. We designed with respect to the existing topography by embedding our design into it, so that the cascade is bent four times in order to flow along the natural slope. Three footbridges were installed on the bending points of the cascade so visitors can actually experience the streams of water rather than just looking at them. On the wings of each bridge, an-sang, one of the patterns that frequently found in Korean traditional footbridges, is engraved. When deciding the size, shape and location of the cascade, we considered its visual relationship with the reservoir and building. 

The beauty of the Pool of Riffles is present during winter even without water. The multi-angled facets of expanded metal glints in the sunlight like scales: the cascade responds to rain, wind, snow, and light, as well as water, and provides an ever-changing multisensory phenomenon even when the water is turned off. The earthwork along the edge of the site is an interpretation of the surrounding rolling hills. By exaggerated repetition, it creates a level of enclosure while still respecting the continuous topography. The ground between the cascade and the earthwork is left open for the fans of the team who come to show their support. Slim Dawn Redwoods are planted along the edge of the property, symbolizing the stature and vigor of the volleyball players. Magnolias and cherry blossoms are planted near the cascade to welcome visitors frequenting in spring– when the fervor of the national volleyball league would be in full swing and the trees in full bloom.

We focused on water management throughout the project. Instead of water collecting in a pool at the end of the cascade, a big water tank is concealed underneath the ground. Water gathered in the tank is brought back to the top, combined with newly supplied water, and then flows down again. The tank serves as collecting both rainwater and runoff, as well as a sedimentation point. Thanks to the aeration effect of the thousands of riffles, the collected water can be recycled several times before discharge. 

The earthworks bounding the site function as a detention pond for surface runoff. Since most of the surface runoff eventually flows into the reservoir, it was necessary to slow down the velocity of runoff from the now more impervious site. The folded surface of the constructed topography was able to contain water with more durability and capacity, enabling us to resolve the issue without installing an additional catchment facility.