After much expectation, a sauna at Brussels' only open-air pool FLOW, located in Anderlecht, will open to the public this weekend.
The pool, created by the organisation POOL IS COOL FLOW and opened in 2021, responds to the lack of public open-air bathing spots in Brussels. Located at the Pierre Marchant bridge, it has been a hit with locals, with dedicated fans even coming for cold swims during winter. In summer it is hugely popular, open from July until closing in early September.
Plans to open a sauna were postponed after FLOW was vandalised several times at the end of 2022. However, POOL IS COOL announced in March that it was working to open a sauna in the upcoming season. This will now open on Saturday 8 June, the organisers confirmed.
Combining hot with cold
From 16:00, visitors to the 17 x 7-metre pool will be able to see the opening of the sauna. The design was a collaboration between LOCI (the faculty of architecture and urban planning at UCLouvain), the Oslo School of Architecture, and Design and the non-profit Oslo Sauna Association. The Norwegian Ambassador to Belgium Jørn Gloslie will also be in attendance.
From 1 July, FLOW will start its fourth summer season. The sauna will be open several days a week, as well as in the autumn and winter.
"Since the beginning, FLOW was meant to be a place where people come together to enjoy the water, activities and each other," said Paul Steinbrück of POOL IS COOL.
Swimming on 14 January. Credit: POOL IS COOL
"After the successful first season of winter swimming, POOL IS COLD, FLOW will become a year-round destination. For those who did not yet find cold-water swimming attractive enough, they can enjoy a sweat in FLOW CHAUD and then dive straight into the fresh water."
The sauna will be heated electrically to keep the whole site sustainable. FLOW is powered by locally generated green electricity, provided by energy platform Bolt. This helps reduce the operation's carbon footprint by up to 85%.
