Monticello Family Aquatic Center - Bathhouse
Monticello, Illinois

The City of Monticello has long been known as a forward thinking community, one willing to invest in its public facilities.  Exceptional Parks and Recreational amenities have contributed greatly to the perceived high quality of life.  By the early 2000's, the Monticello Municipal Swimming Pool, located in City Park, had exceeded its projected lifespan and was beginning to show excessive signs of deterioration and was in danger of closing.

Following a successful campaign to fund a new swimming pool, Foth Engineering and Kennedy Hutson Associates combined to design a new, state of the art aquatic facility.  Utilizing the same City Park site as the original, the new pool echoed the original in size, but with the addition of two additional pools, one for water features and one for small children. 

The new Bathhouse stands in approximately the same location as the original structure.  The expanded program, however, included a central lobby and check-in, locker rooms, offices, concessions, storage and game and party rooms, along with a fully accessible basement for pool equipment and storage.  The primary complaints about the previous building were that it was dark, dank and showed much decay.

In response, the new Bathhouse was designed from the start to incorporate an abundance of natural light and ventilation.  The central lobby space functions as a natural ventilation plenum for the entire building with its high vaulted space flanked with large operable louvers at both ends.  Clerestory porthole windows help to daylight the Lobby naturally.  In the locker rooms, a band of glass block surrounds the perimeter spaces while sun-tunnel skylights illuminate the restroom areas.  All offices and the party room have operable windows for natural ventilation.  The exterior terraces are highlighted by a series of shade shelters at entrances and for seating areas adjacent to the concessions windows.  The concessions service area is situated to allow windows to serve patrons both inside the pool area and also those taking advantage of a second terrace adjacent to additional nearby recreational facilities including tennis and basketball courts.

The new Monticello Family Aquatic Center, with its many features and amenities, was immediately popular.  The facility is a source of pride for the community and contributes greatly to the residents' satisfaction with their hometown.