Piscine Molitor
Encyclopedia
Piscine Molitor is an abandoned swimming pool complex located in Porte Molitor, 16th arrondissement of Paris, Île-de-France
, Paris
, France
. It is next to the park Bois de Boulogne
, and between Stade Roland Garros
and Parc des Princes
. The complex was built in 1929 and inaugurated by Olympic
swimmers Aileen Riggin Soule and Johnny Weissmuller
. The pool is known for its Art Deco
designs and the popular introduction of the bikini
by Louis Réard
on July 5, 1946. The pool was classified as a French monument historique
on March 27, 1990, after having fallen into disuse and closing in 1989.
and Germany
. However, public pools also hosted bathing facilities, as many French homes did not have their own bathrooms. Piscine Molitor was built in 1929 by architect Lucien Pollet, who was working for Les Belles Piscines de France and had designed three other pool complexes. It was designed to resemble an ocean liner
and was adorned with Art Deco stained glass
by Louis Barillet
. In the summer of 1929, Olympic athlete Johnny Weismuller, who was a lifeguard in his spare time, officially opened Piscine Molitor. The pool often housed fashion show
s, theatrical performances, and training for figure skating
. In 1946, the unveiling of the first modern bikini, designed by Louis Réard
, was held at Piscine Molitor, modelled by the Parisian Micheline Bernardini
during a fashion show at the pool. The establishment originally comprised two pools, one indoor and the other outdoor, arranged in a T-shape. The complex was used as an ice-skating rink until the early 1970s. The complex ultimately closed in 1989.
The complex was the only building with two pools built by Pollet, inspired by the work of architect Robert Mallet-Stevens
. Pollet also worked with master glassmaker Louis Barillet, who created the Art Deco stained glass
windows adorning the pool complex. It had a conventional 33 metres (108.3 ft) long covered pool and an Olympic-level 50 metres (164 ft) long open-air pool. The open-air pool was turned into ice and used as a skating rink until the 1970s, and was surrounded by three levels of cabins, resembling a large ship. The complex also included a fitness room. Pollet called the complex "les Grands Établissements Balnéaires d'Auteuil" (the Great Seaside Establishment of Auteuil) because the complex was the site of various sporting events at the time, particularly on the outdoor pool, which was lined with sand. Architect Marc Mimram recently began a restoration project for the pool complex.
(mainly to its historic Art Deco decor) after being protected.
Various other housing projects were also stopped by the French Ministry of Culture, with their final decision on August 5, 2000 revoking the construction permit originally granted by the City of Paris. After SOS Molitor gained ownership to the complex, a new organization called Piscines Molitor was created to obtain funding for the rehabilitation and reopening of Piscine Molitor. The organization has appealed to the administrative court of Paris.
, and GTM Construction. The mayor, Bertrand Delanoë
, called for the revival of the complex without spending taxpayer money. On October 30, 2008, Delanoë announced that the group Colony Capital-Accor
-Bouygues
had been chosen for the project, with architects Jasques Rougerie, Alain Derbesse, and Alain-Charles Perrot. The group is planning for a 2012 reopening of the complex. The €64.8 million project would lease the property for 54 years and is to include a 4-star hotel, a health center, and a medical center, as well as retail, restaurants, and parking facilities.
Île-de-France (région)
Île-de-France is the wealthiest and most populated of the twenty-two administrative regions of France, composed mostly of the Paris metropolitan area....
, Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. It is next to the park Bois de Boulogne
Bois de Boulogne
The Bois de Boulogne is a park located along the western edge of the 16th arrondissement of Paris, near the suburb of Boulogne-Billancourt and Neuilly-sur-Seine...
, and between Stade Roland Garros
Stade Roland Garros
Le Stade de Roland Garros is a tennis venue located in Paris, France. It hosts the French Open tennis tournament , a Grand Slam event played annually in May and June. The facility was constructed in 1928 to host France's first defense of the Davis Cup...
and Parc des Princes
Parc des Princes
The Parc des Princes is an all-seater football stadium located in the southwest of Paris, France. The venue, with a seating capacity of 48,712 spectators, has been the home of French football club Paris Saint-Germain since 1974. The current Parc des Princes was inaugurated on 4 June 1972, endowed...
. The complex was built in 1929 and inaugurated by Olympic
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
swimmers Aileen Riggin Soule and Johnny Weissmuller
Johnny Weissmuller
Johnny Weissmuller was an Austro-Hungarian-born American swimmer and actor best known for playing Tarzan in movies. Weissmuller was one of the world's best swimmers in the 1920s, winning five Olympic gold medals and one bronze medal. He won fifty-two US National Championships and set sixty-seven...
. The pool is known for its Art Deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
designs and the popular introduction of the bikini
Bikini
The bikini is typically a women's two-piece swimsuit. One part of the attire covers the breasts and the other part covers the crotch and part of or the entire buttocks, leaving an uncovered area between the two. Merriam–Webster describes the bikini as "a woman's scanty two-piece bathing suit" or "a...
by Louis Réard
Louis Réard
Louis Réard was a French automobile engineer who invented the bikini in 1946.-Invention of bikini:Although Réard was an engineer, he was running his mother's shoe shop Les Folies Bergères in Paris by 1946. Réard and Jacques Heim, his rival designer, were competing to produce the world's smallest...
on July 5, 1946. The pool was classified as a French monument historique
Monument historique
A monument historique is a National Heritage Site of France. It also refers to a state procedure in France by which national heritage protection is extended to a building or a specific part of a building, a collection of buildings, or gardens, bridges, and other structures, because of their...
on March 27, 1990, after having fallen into disuse and closing in 1989.
History
From around 1920–1930, Paris saw the construction of numerous new public swimming pools, although the development of aquatic recreation in France still lagged behind Great BritainGreat Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. However, public pools also hosted bathing facilities, as many French homes did not have their own bathrooms. Piscine Molitor was built in 1929 by architect Lucien Pollet, who was working for Les Belles Piscines de France and had designed three other pool complexes. It was designed to resemble an ocean liner
Ocean liner
An ocean liner is a ship designed to transport people from one seaport to another along regular long-distance maritime routes according to a schedule. Liners may also carry cargo or mail, and may sometimes be used for other purposes .Cargo vessels running to a schedule are sometimes referred to as...
and was adorned with Art Deco stained glass
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
by Louis Barillet
Louis Barillet
Louis Barillet was a French artist, known for his work in stained glass. Among those with whom he collaborated was Jacques Le Chevallier. His windows may be seen in the church of Notre-Dame-des-Missions-du-cygne d'Enghien.-References:...
. In the summer of 1929, Olympic athlete Johnny Weismuller, who was a lifeguard in his spare time, officially opened Piscine Molitor. The pool often housed fashion show
Fashion show
A fashion show is an event put on by a fashion designer to showcase his or her upcoming line of clothing during Fashion Week. Fashion shows debut every season, particularly the Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter seasons. This is where the latest fashion trends are made...
s, theatrical performances, and training for figure skating
Figure skating
Figure skating is an Olympic sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform spins, jumps, footwork and other intricate and challenging moves on ice skates. Figure skaters compete at various levels from beginner up to the Olympic level , and at local, national, and international competitions...
. In 1946, the unveiling of the first modern bikini, designed by Louis Réard
Louis Réard
Louis Réard was a French automobile engineer who invented the bikini in 1946.-Invention of bikini:Although Réard was an engineer, he was running his mother's shoe shop Les Folies Bergères in Paris by 1946. Réard and Jacques Heim, his rival designer, were competing to produce the world's smallest...
, was held at Piscine Molitor, modelled by the Parisian Micheline Bernardini
Micheline Bernardini
Micheline Bernardini is a former nude dancer at the Casino de Paris before being chosen by Louis Réard to model the first modern-day bikini on July 5, 1946 at Piscine Molitor in Paris.-The first bikini:...
during a fashion show at the pool. The establishment originally comprised two pools, one indoor and the other outdoor, arranged in a T-shape. The complex was used as an ice-skating rink until the early 1970s. The complex ultimately closed in 1989.
The complex was the only building with two pools built by Pollet, inspired by the work of architect Robert Mallet-Stevens
Robert Mallet-Stevens
Robert Mallet-Stevens was a French architect and designer. Along with Le Corbusier he is widely regarded as the most influential figure in French architecture in the period between the two World Wars....
. Pollet also worked with master glassmaker Louis Barillet, who created the Art Deco stained glass
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
windows adorning the pool complex. It had a conventional 33 metres (108.3 ft) long covered pool and an Olympic-level 50 metres (164 ft) long open-air pool. The open-air pool was turned into ice and used as a skating rink until the 1970s, and was surrounded by three levels of cabins, resembling a large ship. The complex also included a fitness room. Pollet called the complex "les Grands Établissements Balnéaires d'Auteuil" (the Great Seaside Establishment of Auteuil) because the complex was the site of various sporting events at the time, particularly on the outdoor pool, which was lined with sand. Architect Marc Mimram recently began a restoration project for the pool complex.
Building controversies
In 1989, a housing project was proposed to the City of Paris. The project was advanced by the city and called for the destruction of the pool and its rebuilding as part of a hotel, with the rest of the original pool complex being turned into a parking lot. On August 31, 1989, the pool was permanently closed. The next day, the facade and main entrance were boarded up. A group of citizens founded the "SOS Molitor", trying to prevent the pool's destruction. They were successful the next year, with the entire pool complex being listed in the inventory of the French Monuments Historiques program (and, as a result, protected by the French government). However, although saved from impending demolition, the complex experienced damage from weather, poor maintenance, and even vandalismVandalism
Vandalism is the behaviour attributed originally to the Vandals, by the Romans, in respect of culture: ruthless destruction or spoiling of anything beautiful or venerable...
(mainly to its historic Art Deco decor) after being protected.
Various other housing projects were also stopped by the French Ministry of Culture, with their final decision on August 5, 2000 revoking the construction permit originally granted by the City of Paris. After SOS Molitor gained ownership to the complex, a new organization called Piscines Molitor was created to obtain funding for the rehabilitation and reopening of Piscine Molitor. The organization has appealed to the administrative court of Paris.
Future
In August 2007, the Mayor of Paris began to accept applications for the renovation of Piscine Molitor. On November 20, 2007, it was announced that three different groups were competing for the role of renovating the pool complex, Colony Capital, ICADEICADE
ICADE is the brand name by which two schools of the Comillas Pontifical University, located in Madrid , are known. It stands for Instituto Católico de Administración y Dirección de Empresas , the name of an Institute that merged with the Comillas Pontifical University in 1978, giving birth to two...
, and GTM Construction. The mayor, Bertrand Delanoë
Bertrand Delanoë
Bertrand Delanoë is a French politician, and has been the mayor of Paris since 2001. He is member of the Socialist Party . Delanoë was born in Tunis, Tunisia to a French-Tunisian father and a French mother...
, called for the revival of the complex without spending taxpayer money. On October 30, 2008, Delanoë announced that the group Colony Capital-Accor
Accor
Accor is Europe's leading hotel group , part of the CAC 40 index , and operates in over 90 countries. Headquartered in Courcouronnes, Essonne, France, near Évry, France, the group owns, operates and franchises 4,229 hotels ranging from economy to luxury on five continents .Previously, the group...
-Bouygues
Bouygues
Bouygues S.A. is a French industrial group headquartered in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, France. Bouygues is listed on Euronext Paris exchange and is a blue chip in the CAC 40 stock market index. The company was founded in 1952 by Francis Bouygues and since 1989 has been led by his son Martin...
had been chosen for the project, with architects Jasques Rougerie, Alain Derbesse, and Alain-Charles Perrot. The group is planning for a 2012 reopening of the complex. The €64.8 million project would lease the property for 54 years and is to include a 4-star hotel, a health center, and a medical center, as well as retail, restaurants, and parking facilities.