Rotorua Aquatic Centre Renovation with Texlon ETFE Vector Foiltec

Renovation – Revitalise and Improve the Aquatic Centre in Rotorua

Originally constructed in the 1980s, the Rotorua Aquatic Centre featured a glulam timber portal frame arrangement and a metal roof. When the council recently decided to embark on an extensive refurbishment, the amazing team at CREATE Specialist Designers (Toby Mason) – who acted as both Architects and Engineers for the project – proposed to replace the metal roof and introduce a large skylight element featuring Vector Foiltec ETFE cushions! Vector Foiltec worked with the designers, Create Ltd, the client team at Rotorua Lakes Council, and Naylor Love Head Contractors to re-clad the main swim hall building to revitalize the center and to improve the overall space.

Designed for Challenging the Durability Against the Geothermal Effects

One of the key design considerations was the aggressive local environment. Rotorua in New Zealand is famous for its geothermal pools which give the air a very distinctive odour. High concentrations of Hydrogen Sulfide and Sulfur Dioxide cause most materials to degrade quite quickly. Coupled with the chlorine from the swimming pool, this means that all the cladding elements had to be designed with maximum durability in mind.

Strengths of the Texlon^® ETFE System

Texlon^® ETFE is perfect for the project as it has proven to have durability in exactly these types of environments while, at the same time, providing thermal insulation, sun protection and, of course, seismic resistance. The 3-layer Texlon^® ETFE cushion system utilizes a special UV inhibiting layer of ETFE film to moderate the light transmission to the Aquatic Centre.

Vector Foiltec’s Design Lead Explaining the Challenges with UV Light

“New Zealand has some of the strongest natural sunlight in the world”, says Angus Macleod, Vector Foiltec’s Design Lead.

“Mainly because of the reduced ozone layer and naturally clean air. The cushion specification we helped develop for this project has less than half the normal amount of UV light transmission that a regular ETFE system would have. We wanted some UV light to come through as this is important from a wellness perspective – but not enough for people to burn. However, at the same time, we wanted to be able to see through the system to the clouds and sky but without issues that might be caused by glare in a swimming pool environment”.

Our Solution for Visible Light Transmission

The final specification for the project has approximately 30% visible light transmission, less than 15% UV light transmission, and a U value of roughly 1.6 W/m²K – ensuring thermal efficiency for the building. The project is a great success for the client and visitors.

Happy swimming!

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