TuWass and Stadtwerke Tuttlingen GmbH celebrated the leisure and thermal baths’ 25th anniversary with an open day. As part of the celebrations, Ernst Ulrich Tillmanns, Managing Partner at 4a Architekten, gave a presentation offering insights into the development of the project – from the initial conceptual ideas through to its architectural realisation. TuWass holds a special place in the history of 4a Architekten: opened in 2001, it was the practice’s first completed swimming pool project and marked the beginning of an intensive engagement with this building typology that continues to shape the work of 4a Architekten today.

Even after 25 years of operation, the building remains in excellent condition. This demonstrates an important dimension of sustainable construction: long-term viability is not determined solely by energy efficiency, resource conservation or technical performance. Equally important are high-quality planning, carefully selected materials and robust detailing that enable a building to be used over the long term. This is complemented by an architectural approach that does not follow short-lived trends, but instead evolves from the specific character of the place, the brief and the operational requirements. As a result, TuWass remains a lively and much-valued destination for Tuttlingen and the wider region.

To mark the 20th anniversary, Ernst Ulrich Tillmanns spoke in a video interview about the development and architecture of TuWass. Five years on, the video is still well worth watching: