In 1955, a final decision was made to build a swimming centre for elite sports that would meet Olympic standards on the site of the former Podolí cement factory. The Podolí Swimming Stadium was designed by Richard F. Podzemný, in collaboration with structural engineer Gustav Kuchař. Construction began in 1959, and the stadium was provisionally opened for swimming competitions a year later. During the first phase, two outdoor pools were built: a 50-metre pool for swimmers and a 33-metre pool for water sports. In the second phase, an indoor 50-metre pool was added. The outdoor pool area, with spectator stands on the roof of the main building, is surrounded by recreational grassy lawns. The entire compound was officially opened in 1965 during an international swimming competition. Initially intended only for elite sports, it was later opened to the general public. Richard F. Podzemný Swimming Stadium in Prague-Podolí, 1958–1965 Podolská 74, Praha 4 – Podolí Podzemný’s architecture is typically characterised by subtle harmony rather than extravagant forms. However, the striking contour of the Podolí Swimming Stadium is the result of functionally optimal solutions. Various projects from the 1950s suggested that the site, a former limestone quarry, was too small to accommodate two outdoor competition pools (50 m and 33 m) and a hall with an indoor 50 m pool. In his first project from 1958, Podzemný grappled with similar difficulties. However, on his own initiative, he presented a new project the following year, in which he capitalised on the idea of roofing the indoor pool with a grandstand structure, thereby gaining enough space on the plot for the entire building concept. An asymmetrical curve extends over the pool, partly shaped by the structurally advantageous parabolic curve and partly by the inclined plane of the grandstand on the other side. The dynamic expression of the structure corresponds well with the sporting purpose of the building. Although Pier Luigi Nervi had used a similar structure for the Flaminio Stadium in Rome (1959), his design housed a pool half the size. In addition to this remarkable engineering work, Podolí became a pleasant environment for both athletes and recreational visitors. Nestled between the quarry slope and the wave of the grandstand, whose northern edge curves and transitions into the terrain, the facility is shielded from the noise of the riverside road and faces the natural scenery. Alongside the indoor hall with a grandstand, whose organic form is as interesting and unusual as other contemporary halls abroad with shell or suspended roofs, the complex also features a stylish reminiscence of functionalism — the low prism of the summer changing rooms equipped with subtle galleries and a rooftop terrace. The artistic decoration of the facility reflected the spirit of the time. Compared to the slightly older polyclinic below Marjánka, the various parts of the stadium were articulated by progressive post-Cubist works by Miloslav Chlupáč (the Swimmer relief) and Vladimír Janoušek (the Sun sculpture), an abstract mosaic by Alois Fišárek and a functional concrete slide by František Pacík, which was not preserved. +7 photos view Richard Ferdinand Podzemný (1907—1987) Podzemný trained as a cabinetmaker at the State Vocational School for Woodworking in Valašské Meziříčí (1925) and later studied architecture at the School of Applied Arts in Prague, under the guidance of Pavel Janák (1931). Between the wars, he first worked in Janák’s architectural studio (1931—1935), after which he ran his own practice, and from 1939 he worked in a joint studio with Antonín Tenzer. From 1950—1974, he was employed at the Prague Design Institute and its predecessors. He was a member of SVU Mánes, Levá fronta, the Union of Czechoslovak Architects and a member of the editorial boards of the Stavitel and Architektura ČSSR magazines. In 1962, he was awarded the title Meritorious Artist. His work was rooted in emotional functionalism, and he focused primarily on the design of residential and public buildings, particularly healthcare facilities. Excerpted from the book Architecture 58–89 Publication concept, editor, author of discussions: Vladimir 518 Plavecký stadion v Podolí | Foto: Prague City Tourism