Vorarlberg architects win Höttinger Au pool and housing project
Tuesday 15th September 2026 on 16:15 in
Austria
An architecture team from Vorarlberg has won the competition for an indoor swimming pool and student residence at Höttinger Au, ORF reported. The proposal by Innauer Matt Architekten ZT from Bezau was selected unanimously from 55 entries.
The plans include a new swimming hall with an additional 25-metre pool and a teaching pool, alongside the renovation and modernisation of the existing indoor pool. The Innsbruck municipal utilities said Höttinger Au would be further developed as a central location for school, club and recreational swimming.
The project will retain and upgrade the existing infrastructure while adding the new swimming hall to the west of the current building. Construction and renovation are planned in stages so that swimming operations can continue as far as possible.
The jury praised the project’s clear urban design, the quality of the new forecourt and the functional organisation of the pool. It also highlighted the integration of the existing building, the structural clarity and the separation of the different uses.
“The large number of participants shows the high level of interest in the internationally advertised competition,” said jury chair Eva Hierzer. “The winning project convinced us in urban, architectural and functional terms. The unanimous decision of the jury is particularly noteworthy.”
Innsbruck Mayor Johannes Anzengruber said the expansion would create more water space for the city and invest in sport, health and children’s swimming skills. “Swimming is a basic ability and a matter of safety,” he said. “With the additional 25-metre pool and the teaching pool, we are taking an important step for the coming decades.”
The next step will be negotiations with the winning planning team over further planning services, according to the Innsbruck municipal utilities. The plans will then be finalised and the necessary decisions and implementation steps taken. The new swimming hall is scheduled for completion by 2029 and is expected to open in 2030.