THE ROLLERCOASTER DESIGN STUDIO | IE UNIVERSITY | 2022

This studio challenged the idea of separating programs for the opportunity to create more spatially rich and interesting moments throughout a multi-purpose recreation center.

The Rollercoaster takes advantage of the main program and spine of the project, the athletic track, by transforming it from an athletic activity to a means of circulation and delineation for the other various programs, which include meeting rooms, pools, and restaurants.

Most of these other programs are accessible by the track, which steadily ramps up and winds through the project, creating moments of programmatic collision.

This project embodies the radical rethinking that conceived the basis of the studio by additionally challenging the form and function of programs.

Cross Section

The overall massing of the project is characterized by three main enveloped spaces all connected by the track, acting as the thread which creates the relationship between them. The usage of separate masses creates the feeling of an isolated oasis or pedestrian city on the ground floor within the larger city of Madrid.

The envelope strategy is similar to that of the Fundación Giner de los Ríos in Madrid, which is constructed of a layer of glass behind a layer of thin metal dowels to allow for light and some visibility through the building to create programmatic collisions.

Longitudinal Section

The positioning of the swimming pools on the ground floor with the track soaring above them provides the unique opportunity for runners to jump into the water below, encouraged further by designated jumping platforms integrated in the track. There is a family pool, lap pool, and children’s pool to accommodate all types of users.

Vertical circulation cores attached to parti walls on either side of the plot satisfy building code regulations and provide an alternative means of circulation to the track. Some programs that do not require as much light, such as the massage rooms and restrooms, are housed in these cores.