Anti-slip tiles from RAKO have enhanced the safety of visitors at the new aquapark in Mladá Boleslav

Swimmers, wellness enthusiasts, and water fun lovers from Mladá Boleslav no longer have to travel dozens of kilometers to nearby towns for their hobby, as they now have their own indoor aquapark since the second weekend of April. The light and open spaces of the Mladá Boleslav Municipal Pool owe a lot to the architectural office Atelier 11 Hradec Králové, which was the general designer of the facility. Architect Vladimír Křížek chose RAKO ceramic tiles and cladding. In the pool halls, RAKO tiles with the highest anti-slip properties that exceed the standard requirements ensure the safety of visitors.

The operation of the new aquapark for the public began on April 12, with the grand opening occurring a day earlier. The new pool provides quality facilities not only for those interested in fitness swimming, lovers of water attractions and slides, but also for wellness fans. The aquapark is divided into three separate, interconnected sections. The sports section features a 25-meter pool with six swimming lanes. The recreational part is split into a pool with water attractions and a section designated for children. In addition to traditional water attractions, there is an 81.1-meter-long slide, a wide slide, a lazy river, a cave, a large whirlpool, and a relaxation area with loungers. The third area is the wellness zone, which includes a Finnish sauna, steam room, cooling area with an ice well, whirlpool, Kneipp path, and both indoor and outdoor relaxation spaces.

The architectural design was created by Ing. arch. Vladimír Křížek in collaboration with the Atelier 11 Hradec Králové office. The division of the aquapark into three parts also influenced the color concept of the complex. A strict, almost monochromatic combination of shades of gray was chosen for the sports section, complemented by a blue color for the starting blocks and lane dividers. Shades of gray also flow into the entertainment section, which is visually connected to the sports section. However, here more robust blocks of color of the individual attractions are more utilized. The children's section is the most colorful.

Neutral-colored RAKO tiles cover the floors

RAKO tiles in a format of 30 x 60 cm from the Cemento series were chosen for the floors in the pool hall as well as for all main communication routes of the aquapark. The seemingly inconspicuous design of the tiles resembles a concrete finish and is very neutral in terms of design and color, allowing it to be excellently combined with other architectural elements of the aquapark. Moreover, the chosen surface type for the flooring is uncompromisingly functional due to its slip resistance while also providing an attractive visual impression.

Cemento tiles stand out for their technical parameters, especially their excellent slip resistance. "Considering the safety of visitors and the placement of large-format tiles in the pool halls, we recommended increasing the slip resistance class of the flooring up to level C,” says Ing. Miroslav Levora, head of the project team at LASSELSBERGER. Level C according to standards for floors that are walked on barefoot (CEN/TS 16 165:2012, EN 13451-1, DIN 51 097, GUV 26.18, and ČSN 72 5191) represents a slip angle greater than 24°, which is the highest level of slip resistance. Flooring with this slip resistance is typically used for small areas near pools, such as starter blocks, underwater stairs, or sloped edges of pool tubs.

Slip testing with bare feet

In ČSN 72 5191 and DIN 51 097, DIN 51 130, the slip resistance of tiles is indicated based on the measurement of the slip angle on an inclined plane along which the test subject walks. The inclined plane with the tested tiles of prescribed dimensions tilts at a rate of 1° per second until the slip angle is reached, at which the person becomes unsteady while walking and slips. The advantage of determining slip resistance using this method is the ability to assess significantly textured tiles and systematically classify them into distinct, precisely defined user groups based on the determined slip angle, which is particularly utilized in Western Europe. More about measuring slip resistance and other properties of ceramic coatings and tiles can be found at www.rako.cz.

Joints will drain excess water

Slip resistance at level C also increases visitors' feeling of safety while walking on wet floors. "The human brain may perceive larger format tiles as feeling more slippery compared to smaller formats, even if they exhibit the same class of slip resistance,” states Ing. Miroslav Levora. For this reason, besides increased slip resistance of tiles near all exit ladders, on stairs, and in the immediate vicinity of pools, "mosaic" format tiles of 5 x 5 cm or 10 x 10 cm from the POOL series (RAKO) were applied. These are perceived by visitors as less slippery but also have objective advantages. Smaller formats show a higher percentage of joined surface area per m² than larger formats. Consequently, water drains more easily through the joints, and the tiles remain drier on the surface. "I also consider the combination of small and larger formats to be visually optimal. Large formats highlight the main communication areas, while smaller, usually irregular areas effectively outline the small formats of the tiles,” believes Ing. Tomáš Mrázek, managing director of the architectural office Atelier 11 Hradec Králové.

Good cleanability even with increased slip resistance

When designing the slip resistance class, it was necessary to also take into account cleanability. The higher the slip resistance, the lower the cleanability of the surface. A surface that is too rough would not only be difficult to clean adequately but would also trap dirt (skin remnants, grease due to walking barefoot), and in case of a fall, would pose a risk of injury in the form of abrasions. The final optimal balance between both properties came from laboratory measurements and practical tests. The advantage here is that the RAKO brand offers professional cleaners in its range, RAKO SYSTEM, specifically developed and tested in practice for effective cleaning of coatings and tiles.

Playful colors around water attractions

Playfulness while maintaining an elegant, almost minimalist look was the goal in designing the overall color solution for the interiors. "While the pool hall for fitness swimming is designed in calmer shades of gray and blue, for the water attractions section we chose more cheerful tones,” describes Ing. Tomáš Mrázek, representative of Atelier 11 Hradec Králové and adds: "This area is intended for fun and primarily attracts families with children, which is also reflected in the choice of color solutions." In the area with water attractions, ceramic claddings from the RAKO OBJECT offer were applied, specifically the Color TWO series in vivid shades of yellow, light and dark blue, brown, white, red, and even black on the plinths.

Larger color areas, such as red cladding on the side wall of the hall or bright yellow on the block under the slide, are repeated in the color of accessories such as yellow loungers or chairs in the adjacent restaurant. Dark blue also appears on the slide and smaller elements in the pool hall - the edges of the lower parts of the columns in the recreational pool or the edges of smaller pools. In the hall with water features, the architect also combined large-format tiles with small formats on the floors. Mosaic format covers the surroundings of stairs and exits from the pools, which are most exposed to flowing water.

RAKO mosaics in earthy shades for curved shapes

In contrast to the first two areas of the complex with very light color representations, the wellness zone, as a relaxation area, is designed in calm, earthy shades. According to Feng Shui, these shades bring a feeling of safety, certainty, and comfort. The coziness of the wellness zone is enhanced by RAKO ceramic claddings from the Naturstone series, which cover the floors. Highly durable and slip-resistant tiles with a pronounced slate relief in the format of 45 x 22.5 cm are complemented by polished brown tiles from the Sandstone Plus series with an effective contrast of gloss and matte, used for instance in the steam chamber. The walls of the steam chamber are adorned with glass mosaics from the same series, while the curved shapes of the loungers in the steam chamber are outlined by mosaics from the Savana series in a format of 2.5 x 2.5 cm. The mosaic is also repeated in other details in the wellness zone, such as the sides of the cooling pool, columns, or ice makers.

The Mladá Boleslav aquapark is one of the exceptionally successful constructions. The interior maintains a pleasant elegance and refreshing sobriety even where the presence of water attractions would certainly tempt towards overly vibrant color variations. The interesting concept of the building promises stable visitor numbers in the future.