VITAM'PARC

The leisure and shopping complex VITAM’Parc, opened in 2009, extends over more than 43,000 m2 of floor space in the district of Neydens in France, just 11 kilometres from the Swiss city of Geneva. From its location at the base of Mont Salève, the complex designed by the Spanish architects L35 fits in almost organically with the landscape, despite its massive dimensions. More than 600,000 visitors per year are expected to enjoy their favourite activities in the new complex. The greatest challenge for the architects from Barcelona was to place the large-scale project both within the scenic environs and in the immediate vicinity of an existing residential area. Conceived so as to cater for the entire well-being of the visitor, the complex not only combines sport and wellness facilities, but also offers shops and restaurants which have an emphasis on wellness. In order to house the impressive range of amenities – which along with wellness facilities (1100 m2) includes a water park with various indoor and outdoor swimming pools (total area of 22,300 m2), a sports centre with an indoor climbing gym, and a commercial zone of 10,000 m2 with a supermarket, 16 shops, 6 restaurants and a hotel of 83 rooms – the firm designed an architectural structure which consciously absorbs the topographical characteristics and partially continues them. The visual connection of the buildings with the environment and the internal with the external space is the recurring theme of this design.