Cologne, Germany's Deutzer Hafen, the harbour district on the Rhine River, languished for years as an underutilized industrial area. Its revitalization is underway, however, and Danish design firm COBE's ambitious public pool and waterfall design has been selected as the landmark of the area.
The project consists of a large public pool that will be raised several meters from the Rhine itself, and the water in the pool will be filled and maintained through sustainable methods. For instance, the COBE plans to incorporate collected rainwater into the pool, and it will be heated through excess energy expelled by the harbor's surrounding buildings.
Deutzer Hafen's main aesthetic attraction will be a tremendous waterfall that cascades from the pools edge and into the river below.
Why This Trend Is Growing
- Sustainable Pool Design
- Disruptive innovation opportunities lie in the development of sustainable methods for filling and maintaining public pools.
- Revitalization of Urban Waterfronts
- There is potential for disruptive innovation in transforming underutilized industrial areas into attractive public spaces with features like pools and waterfalls.
- Integration of Renewable Energy in Design
- Incorporating renewable energy sources into architectural designs, such as using excess energy from surrounding buildings to heat pools, presents disruptive innovation opportunities.
Industries Being Reshaped
- Architecture
- The architecture industry can explore disruptive innovation in designing sustainable and visually striking public pools and water features.
- Urban Planning
- Urban planning professionals can capitalize on the trend of revitalizing urban waterfronts by incorporating innovative pool and waterfall designs.
- Renewable Energy
- The renewable energy industry can explore disruptive innovation by integrating excess energy from buildings into architectural designs, such as heating pools.
