THE FLOAT: Ludan Public Sports Center

Rebirth from Sewage Treatment Plant to Ludan Public Sports Center

Transforming a site requires more than physical renovation, but also reshaping its social perception and honoring its past. This project converts a decommissioned underground wastewater treatment plant into a vibrant community sports center. The transition from utilitarian infrastructure to a public green facility is realized through bold design and striking visual contrast.

Circular Swimming Pool: Honoring the Past, Uniting the Community

Beyond the badminton and tennis courts requested by the client, the design aspires to create a social hub that strengthens community bonds. Swimming is highly popular and social engaging in southern China’s hot climate. By reusing the original circular sedimentation tank into a public swimming pool, the plant’s memory is preserved. The circular skylights bathe the pool in natural light, fostering a softer, more relaxed atmosphere than regular-shape pools and providing a healthy, lively gathering space for the neighborhood.

Floating Cloud: From “Dirty” to “Clean”

To change the local impression of a polluted, dark underground site, a new image of “lightness” and “purity” was introduced through cloud-like forms. Sustainable, lightweight white membrane cover the façade and roof over the sports fields. This “floating cloud” roof above a reflective water landscape, responses to the nearby Shenzhen River and Hong Kong wetlands, to craft an identity that is green, natural, and pristine. At night, the façade becomes an illuminated landmark capable of projecting sports imagery, transforming a once-isolated area into an engaging evening destination.

Sustainability: Economical Adaptive Reuse

Addressing the client’s priorities for economy and sustainability, the original pool structure was retained and adaptively reused to minimize demolition and earthwork costs. Green roofs integrate with the surrounding lawn to form a tiered stormwater system, offering cooling and rainwater retention suited to the local hot, rainy climate. The double-skin façade combines a lightweight STFE membrane with conventional glazing system, achieving a distinctive aesthetic without complex supports. This also improves ventilation and shading, while the self-cleaning surface ensures low maintenance. The site reborn from an isolated grey infrastructure to a natural, sustainable, vibrant and cohesive community hub.