The Huntsville Aquatic Center
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We had never,
ever seen something like this in
person.
The Huntsville Aquatics Center, completed in July of 2017, was a $22 million project. The design combined an existing 50-meter swimming pool in the 50-year-old Brahan Spark Natatorium with two new pools to create one of the largest indoor aquatics complexes in the United States.
Let’s go back to
the very beginning
of this project.
Now, first of all, we've all watched the Olympics over the years, the fancy opening ceremonies, the exciting displays of athletic ability in both the winter and summer events. Yes, we know who Michael Phelps is, and believe it or not, a very few of us still remember watching Mark Spitz back in the day. Seven gold medals and a set of teeth as bright as a lighthouse beacon warning ships at sea.
Swimming
These athletes can swim frontward, they can swim backward, on their stomach, on their back ...pretty much any position you can think of and they perform these feats of athletic artistry in a swimming pool. We've all been in a swimming pool, so we can somewhat identify with these lean athletes performing at such a high level. For most of us, maybe not the lean part ...but the water and at the least some sort of dog-paddling method are in our repertoire and most of us have at least dipped ourselves in a pool a time or two ...sometimes against our will.
When we first studied the drawings for the center, we knew it was really going to be something. But, until we actually started the project, we couldn't grasp how large and grand it really is. We had never seen a facility like this, and you would have to travel very far to find anything even close to the size, scope, and beauty of the Huntsville Aquatic Center.
Over all of these years of painting, we've known that we are blessed to be in a field where we get the opportunity to make things prettier and last longer with various products we apply. Still, one problem is that oftentimes we never get to see the finished project.
A few months back, we stopped back by the Aquatics Center to check it out. We walked around admiring the finished handwork, the tile, the metal, the brick ...it is such a well-designed facility and we had helped create this. Finally, we just sat up in the stands for a while and watched folks swimming laps in a pool larger than half a football field. The sun was shining through
We should have brought our swim britches and some goggles ...and some inflatables and a cooler would have been nice too.
Our work at the center consisted of:
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Pool Ceilings: We used Sherwin-Williams Macropoxy Primer along with Corathane top coat.
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Pool Walls: We applied Pre-Catalyzed Epoxy ...another Sherwin-Williams product that is the ideal coating for high traffic areas. We use this product often in hospitals, schools, and restaurants ...it's very durable.
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Pool Ramps: We applied H&C Concrete Stain. It decorates, seals, and protects concrete surfaces, unlike any product we have ever found. It's also resistant to salts, acids, alkalis, water, mildew, UV rays, oil, and wet or dry abrasion. Truly a perfect stain for an aquatic center.
Pam Bruce with Nola VanPeursem Architects was a pleasure to work with. She really had a vision for the place. Thanks, Pam!
The project manager was Bruce Mullin of Pearce Construction. Bruce was equally great to work with, and we were pleased to work with the team he and Pearce Construction assembled. Thanks again, guys!
The Huntsville Aquatic Center was named the 2017 Facility of the Year Award by the Alabama Recreation and Parks Association. The recognition received was well deserved.
You should stop by and see the place. The folks in Huntsville have really created a gem for their community. It's also a wonderful place for the family ...memberships are very affordable. They also host some of the biggest swim meets in the south ...so you can watch some of the best swimmers from all over the country and pretend like you're at your very own Olympics. Olympics? Big deal. The Huntsville Aquatic Center has a Cracker Barrel just two minutes away. Take that Tokyo.
Yep, we've been painting the south for over 30 years, and it just keeps getting better.
Next time we drop by, folks better get ready for some Marco Polo.
