Paris has just re-opened one of its most beautiful swimming pools, an Art Deco treasure designed by Henri Sauvage, the architect who also designed the Samaritaine department store building.
The Piscene des Amiraux, in the 18th arrondissement, closed two years ago and has undergone a €16.5 million rebuilding, following the original plans. The work is part of an overall campaign, Plan Nager, aimed at upgrading Paris swimming facilities. It had a brief but featured role in the 2001 movie Amélie. Below, the title character’s father steps out of the pool.
The pool is lined with the same tiles that are found throughout the Metro, and has two floors of balconies with 164 dressing rooms. They’ve also been redone, and their original color restored.
Meanwhile, along the Seine, work is underway on a project for retail, offices and stores that will retain the facades of Sauvage’s Samaritaine building.
