CANOTTIERI OLONA

Facing directly onto the towpath along Naviglio Grande, Canottieri Olona 1894 sports club is located right in the midst of Milan’s canals. 

The main building, which has an irregular-shaped base, has two floors above ground and a basement, whose most distinctive feature is a large central space holding a swimming pool that is the focal point of a range of sports and recreation facilities. 

L22 decided to rework the club’s functional and spatial layout by enhancing and extending its spaces, focusing on interaction and continuity between the inside and outside. 

The overall restyling project set out to improve the overall quality, ease of access and range of services provided by the sports club and adjoining restaurant, guaranteeing energy efficiency and getting rid of any architectural barriers. 

The relaunch plan involves considerable redevelopment of the entire facility to make better use of the spaces for the approximately 4000 people who use the facility each year. 

The gym, reception, club house, garden, bar and restaurant have been totally upgraded. There are new locker rooms and restrooms, plant-engineering facilities and a thermal blanket for the facility’s central structure: all work that began on Canottieri Olona at the end of 2014. 

The modernisation operations will continue with the construction of new locker rooms and an adjoining wellness area while, at the same time, completely upgrading the plant-engineering. 

The final phase will involve the creation of a spacious multi-purpose area. Conventional, functional design work dynamically bringing together the range of architectural features serving different purposes in the various distinctive spaces. The re-appropriating of this space also derives from its functional reshaping. As well as being enhanced as a place for socialising, Canottieri Olona 1894 will once again be a leisure and relaxation facility serving more than just sports purposes. 

The club has been turned into a village, a lively organism to be enjoyed, a people-friendly environment where you can forget about the hustle and bustle of city life. People are now even more closely involved in the club and its ties with the surroundings are even tighter. 

Photo credits: Lombardini22