A swimming centre has been officially opened in The Hague with the city’s first ever 50m competition pool.

At a ceremony attended by mayor Jozias van Aartsen, the VenhoevenCS architecture+urbanism-designed Hofbad Aquatics Centre opened it’s doors, offering a range of recreational pools, instruction pools and a full-sized competition pool capable of hosting both national and international swimming competitions. There are also facilities for diving, lifeguarding and water polo contests.

The building is designed for easy and straightforward conversion to use for either purpose. But the building is also unique from an environmental perspective. Its state-of-the-art insulation, rooftop energy generation and extremely sustainable systems make it extremely energy-efficient.