More than two years after plans for an open-air pool on the roof of the Abattoir were announced, the project is coming closer to realisation. However, in comparison to other major cities, Brussels is lacking in outdoor bathing spots.
Aside from the temporary open-air swimming pool FLOW in Anderlecht operated by POOL IS COOL, the only outdoor bathing spots in Brussels are located in high-end, private health clubs, where only the happy few can dive in after forking out for three to four-digit memberships.
"We lag behind in our capital city when it comes to providing cooling to our residents," State Secretary for Urban Development Ans Persoons told The Brussels Times. "The figures don't lie. Brussels has just one public swimming pool for every 68,000 inhabitants. Even more damning: it is the only European city with more than one million inhabitants that does not have a permanent outdoor swimming pool."
Two years ago, the Brussels-Capital Region unveiled plans that aimed to bring improvement in the shape of an open-air pool at the Manufakture building on the Abattoir site in the Anderlecht neighbourhood of Cureghem. It will be built on the roof, next to two indoor pools and a terrace looking out to the city's skyline.
"With the pool on the Abattoir site, we can play catch-up and make Brussels a cooler city," Persoons said. So far, €7 million has been made available for the construction of the pools by the Regional Government, the Flemish Community Commission (VGC) and the Flemish Government.
Urgent need
POOL IS COOL, which for years now has been drawing attention to the need for swimming spots in the city, welcomed the prospect of the Abattoir project being on track. "There is an urgent need for accessible outdoor swimming areas in Brussels. Especially for children and families who don't have a garden to place a small pool or go on holiday."
This week, the organisation has been active in Cureghem to inform locals about the project. It also set up a water playground of sorts, with water-spraying "monsters" and a 15-metre-long inflatable water slide.
"Some children from the neighbourhood arrived here before we even opened and they stay all day until they help us tidy everything up in the evening," POOL IS COOL's Paul Steinbrück told The Brussels Times. "It is clear there are very few other leisure activities for them, and that they desire to cool down in this way."
Water features in Cureghem this week. Credit: POOL IS COOL
Aside from providing fun for the young ones, the organisation is also trying to inform people of what is coming to their neighbourhood soon. "We tell them that they will have the first permanent open-air pool in Brussels, and most people are very surprised by this news, and respond excitedly."
However, Steinbrück added that people immediately ask when the pool will open. "When I tell them that 2028 is the best-case scenario, you can see the disappointment in their faces too."
Frozen pool
The project's complexity means it is a slow-burner when it comes to realising it. The Brussels Government decided in June to launch a Design, Build, Finance, Maintain and Operate contract (DBFMO) for the future open-air swimming pool, which means a project call will likely be launched this summer in the search for candidates to build, finance and, in the future, operate the pool.
However, the project is currently frozen without any prospect of a new government being formed in the short term. "And we still need that final approval from the next government."
In the meantime, FLOW remains Brussels' only open-air bathing spot, and it is showing signs of its temporary nature. "This was never meant to be a permanent pool, and we are starting to see that in the materials, things are starting to wear off," he said. The pool is also too small for the demand. "On warmer days, it is immediately fully booked."
FLOW remains open until the end of August this year, but a question mark hangs over its future. "Obviously, we want to keep it going for as long as possible, because at best it will be another four years until the Abattoir pool opens, or it may never come to fruition."
However, the organisation can't continue to run things the way it is now. "It is getting too challenging, also financially. So we really are looking to the new government to not only make new promises but take new steps to make work of creating new bathing spots. Because we need more than just one open-air swimming pool in Brussels."
