Set against the background of the Benedictine abbey of St Walburg at the entrance to the diocesan town of Eichstätt, a somewhat worldly facility in the form of a new lido has been attracting visitors since 2010. Here, the River Altmühl is divided by an island that is accessible from the main road. For almost 40 years, people have had the choice of bathing in a swimming pool or in the river itself, with a broad meadow in which to sun themselves. Now the dilapidated old structure of the open-air baths has made way for a new family lido. What particularly impressed the competition jury was the integration of the complex in the natural topography of the island, and the visual links to the old town centre. To guard against flooding, the level of the development was raised by roughly one metre; and in view of the unstable subsoil, it was necessary to replace the earth beneath the building and the pools to allow foundations to be laid. The areas of water of the sports, diving, adventure and children’s pools are linked by benches and grassed areas to form an animated landscape for bathing. The programme for younger visitors is complemented by areas for playing and for beach volleyball. At the central point of access to the new development, a densely planted roof with circular roof lights is drawn over a kiosk and the entrance passageway as well as the changing and sanitary spaces, creating a seamless transition to the wooded slope to the rear. On this side, the planted roof extends down to the ground in part and merges with the landscape. The area is planted with profusely growing grass and herbs that rise above the edge of the roof.