Gifhorn has approximately 40,000 inhabitants and is situated in the eastern part of Lower Saxony. The latest highlight of the district town is the sports and leisure pool ALLERWELLE, which was named after the river passing through the town and the administrative district of the same name. The existing open-air pools have been extensively renovated recently and complemented by a newly built indoor swimming bath consisting of four pools (water area always in brackets): a sports (420 m²), a therapy (180 m²), an attractions (200 m²) and a paddling pool (40 m²).

The renowned Hanover architect’s office Venneberg & Zech - under the overall control of the graduate engineers Ulrich Zech and Johannes Fischer - was responsible for the planning. The basic intention at this project was to avoid an “obtrusive water park look“ and to create an unagitated, balanced atmosphere by clear colours, forms and perspectives. Following this idea, the pools were intentionally tiled in simple white in order to subtly underline the purity of the primary element of water and the consistency of the architectural overall concept in this way. Discreet accents, on the other hand, are set by cube-like structures and well-proportioned surfaces in neutral grey and noble anthracite. An example for the great care down to the details is the ceramic tiles with glazed or rounded short or longitudinal edges. Thanks to them, the individual structures could be designed as an ensemble conveying a visually homogeneous impression - and this is just one of many examples showing the elevated design pretension. The use of edge profiles differing with regard to colour and material thus was not necessary.

This and other special solutions could be realized thanks to an explicit advantage of AGROB BUCHTAL: individual special productions are a particular strong point of this manufacturer of ceramic tiles, whose products were used for the cladding of the pools and for adjoining surfaces. Apart from the high product quality made in Germany, the extensive support and advisory services with which architects are accompanied practice-oriented and project-specifically were also decisive for this. Another advantage is that swimming pool ceramics of AGROB BUCHTAL is provided with the innovative Hydrotect coating already in-plant. Durably baked onto the surface at high temperature, it lends tiles quite special characteristics: thanks to the hydrophilic surface, they are extremely easy to clean, have an antibacterial effect without using chemical products and eliminate unwelcome or harmful odours, for example in indoor swimming pools, changing rooms and sanitary or catering areas. All of these aspects come in absolutely useful especially in public swimming baths.

The sports and leisure pool Allerwelle contrasts pleasantly with excessive overstimulation. It is impressive because of a remarkably unpretentious, almost meditative ambience which permits the eyes and the soul to have a rest.