Leça Swimming Pools
Álvaro Siza Vieira · Matosinhos, Portugal · 1966
The Leça Swimming Pools place a precise arrangement of concrete walls, changing facilities and sea-water basins within a rocky Atlantic shoreline. Completed in 1966, the project is an early demonstration of Álvaro Siza's ability to work with an existing landscape without disguising the new construction. The approach initially limits views of the ocean, then releases them as visitors emerge toward the pools. Natural rocks become part of the enclosure around the water. The architecture is best understood as a sequence of ground levels, walls and horizons rather than as a single freestanding object. Visiting: Swimming is seasonal and ticketed. Architecture tours and off-season access have separate arrangements.