Natatorium
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An indoor pool (sometimes called an indoor swimming pool and rarely[1] a natatorium)[2][3] is a building or room containing a swimming pool.
Description
Indoor pools are located inside, under a roof and insulated by at least three walls. Built for the purpose of year-round swimming or training, they are found in all climate types. Since the pool room is insulated, it is less likely the heat will escape; making it less expensive to heat than an outdoor pool where the heat will escape.[4] Architecturally, the indoor pool may look like the rest of the house, but in terms of engineering, variables such as heating and ventilation are required to ensure comfortable humidity levels. In addition to drainage and automatic pool covers, there are a number of ways to remove humidity in the air that is present with any wet indoor environment. Efficient dehumidification in the indoor pool environment prevents structural damage, lowers energy costs for cooling or heating in addition to improving the room's climate to make it a comfortable swimming environment.
The North American term "natatorium"
The word natatorium was borrowed from Late Latin "place for swimming" into English in New England in 1890.[5][6] The term is not recorded in some British dictionaries (Cambridge, Macmillan) and is not widely used as a general term for indoor pools in North American English, but some colleges, universities, and high schools have buildings that use the term in their name, especially when the building houses more than just a swimming pool, for example a diving well or facilities for water polo.
Some indoor pools that use the term "natatorium" in their name include the following:
- Crystal Pool Natatorium in Seattle (demolished in 2003)
- Natatorium Pool in Waco, Texas
- The Graham S. Little Natatorium, otherwise known as Olney Indoor Swim Center, in Olney, Maryland
- Flushing Meadows Natatorium in Queens, New York
- Municipal Natatorium in Kavala, Greece
- Kaleva Natatorium in Kaleva, Tampere, Finland
Gallery
Natatorium (with signage) at the University of California, San Diego
West Baden Springs Hotel Natatorium, West Baden Springs, Indiana
Flushing Meadows Natatorium, Queens, New York
See also
- Indiana University Natatorium
- The Plunge, Point Richmond, Richmond, California
- Waikiki Natatorium War Memorial
- Flushing Meadows Natatorium
- San Juan Natatorium
- Ying Tung Natatorium
- Verdun Natatorium
- Sutro Baths
References
- ^ Not even mentioned in some dictionaries, for example the Macmillan Dictionary
- ^ Ngram Viewer
- ^ natatorium - definition of natatorium by the Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia
- ^ "Get Inspired: Swimming Pools: Types, Designs, and Styles". The Spruce. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
- ^ "The American Heritage Dictionary entry: Natatorium".
- ^ "Natatorium | Etymology, origin and meaning of natatorium by etymonline".