Four pools and one construction site on two days
The two-day IAKS Pool Study Tour offers an immersive learning experience in the field of pools and aquatic facilities, showcasing a blend of four successful aquatic facilities (a cosy indoor swimming pool; an energy-sustainable community swimming complex, a thermal bath and spa on the river, and a combined pool and ice-skating rink), and also brings you up to date on the current construction project `Pool out of the box‘.
With stops in five cities from 26-27 October 2025, the study tour will take place in the run-up to the aquanale trade fair - the No. 1 meeting place for the international swimming pool and wellness industry. Fostering innovations for a conscious lifestyle centred around health, wellness and exercise, the aquanale trade fair will take place in Cologne, Germany from 28-31 October 2025.
(Full programme flyer: click on image left)
Your perfect addition to your visit at aquanale and FSB
Modular Pool ‘Pool out of the box’ in Stuttgart
(c) POOL out of the BOX GmbH - 4a Architekten
The modular wooden design and the pool’s almost complete prefabrication in the factory make it possible to erect it at different locations, dismantle it, relocate it and re-erect it – and all in a short time. The compact building has two floors: the pool entrance, plant and staff rooms are on the ground floor. The upper floor houses the pool hall with the changing rooms and sanitary facilities. The pool hall accommodates a 25- metre stainless steel pool with five lanes and a partially movable floor. This makes it possible for use by several school classes at the same time. The interior finish, furnishings and equipment for the various modular rooms are also prefabricated in the factory and interconnected via interfaces on site.
full feature in 'sb' magazine 5/2024
Stutenseebad nearby Karlsruhe
(c) David Matthiessen
The sustainability requirements of government-funded municipal building construction (NBBW subsidy programme) were applied in the development of the new building. The exterior of the compact building structure appears plain while the interior is infused with a vibrant, bright atmosphere that offers visitors maximum comfort.
The materials for Stutensee pool were chosen according to functional criteria: while the basement and first storey are executed in exposed concrete, a timber frame structure was chosen for the supporting structure for the large-span bathing hall and the changing area. The suspended, acoustically efficient lamellar ceilings and wall panelling along with the perforated Aleppo pine ceiling in the changing wing are also executed in timber.
This building material won both the client and the architect over due to its numerous positive properties and natural appearance: wood offers a healthy indoor climate, is CO2-neutral and recyclable and is exceptionally suited to lending atmosphere to spaces with reverberant surfaces such as bathing halls and optimising room acoustics.
full feature in 'sb' magazine 6/2018
Moselbad in Koblenz
(c) Müther/Moselbad
For the new Moselbad Koblenz had to wait 12 long years. It costed 48 million euro to build a community swimming complex with dining and sauna facilities. The public now has a wonderful possibility to swim in a 6-lane sports pool, a training pool, a course/movement pool, a 5-meter diving pool, and enjoy health, and leisure activities in a parent-child pool, and a sprayground. There are four saunas indoors and two outdoors, along with generous relaxation areas – all regionally themed.
The Moselbad is currently considered the most modern swimming facility in Germany. Cash machines, automated cloud-based checkouts, digital courses and operations monitoring, autonomous cleaning, AI-supported supervision assistance, and data management for optimizing occupancy are just a few of the operational innovations. From a technical standpoint, geothermal energy, air-source heat pumps, solar thermal systems, two photovoltaic arrays, a combined heat and power plant, and peak load boilers are all integrated, resulting in a high demand for system control. The Moselbad illustrates how, despite delays and cost increases caused by the pandemic and energy crisis, the adjustments made during planning paved the way toward a digital, automated, and energy-sustainable future.
Emser Therme in Bad Ems
(c) Dieter Pohlmann
With its rounded shapes, warm colours and natural materials, the Thermen Landschaft spa landscape is the perfect place in which to relax and bathe in the healing Emser thermal water. The spacious thermal pool, whirlpool, exercise pool, and hot-and-cold pool beckon you to dive in and have a swim. Innovative attractions such as the salt inhalation room using the famous Emser salt, the Sidroga herbal steam bath, and the unique rain area round off the indoor offer. The outdoor area of the spa includes the open-air thermal pool and sports pool, offering recreation all-year-round, while the spacious sunbathing lawn with its clear view of the river Lahn makes for a perfect relaxation spot.
Lentpark in Köln/Cologne
(c) KölnBäder
The ice and swimming stadium Lentpark accommodates two ice rinks, an indoor swimming centre with a variety of pools, a sauna, an outdoor natural water swimming pond and a restaurant. An elevated ice skating track runs as a round circuit through every part of the building providing exciting views inside and outside. An intelligent cross-linking of the building services allows for the seemingly contradictory climatic requirements of an ice and swimming facility to operate in an energy-efficient manner.
Winner of the 2013 IOC IAKS AWARD - Bronze Medal
full feature in 'sb' magazine 5/2013
Perfect symbiosis with trade fair duo aquanale and FSB plus IAKS Congress
The study trip is aimed in particular at international pool experts travelling in the run-up to the event-packed week in Cologne. This makes a visit to Germany doubly and triply worthwhile!
Gain first-hand expertise and discover the latest trends in sports facility construction. Here are your dates in October, not to be missed:
26-27 October:
IAKS Pool study tour (Stuttgart - Stutensee - Koblenz - Bad Ems - Köln/Cologne)
28-31 October, Cologne:
aquanale - International Trade Fair for Sauna. Pool. Ambience.
Together with ISWF Conference 'International Swimming Pool and Wellness Forum'
28-31 October, Cologne:
FSB - International Trade Fair for Amenity Areas, Sports and Exercise Facilities.
Together with International IAKS Congress ‘Creating high-performing facilities for an active future’