La Piscine de Roubaix is an emblematic museum of the city of Lille. Inaugurated in 2001, it is located on the site of an ancient Art Deco swimming pool, built in 1932 by the progressive architect Albert Baert. The swimming pool was considered one of the most modern in Europe until it closed in 1985 for safety reasons. A fountain at the heart of the museum reminds us of its primary function.
In 2016, major works were launched to address the problem of saturation of the site. In fact, the capacity of 60,000 people was no longer sufficient for the 250,000 visitors who wandered there each year. The renovation project imagined by Jean-Paul Philippon included the creation of a new 1600 m2 wing and the rehabilitation of 700 m2 of the existing museum. The project also included the creation of a room dedicated to the history of Roubaix, a gallery dedicated to the history of modern sculpture, a second room for temporary exhibitions, spaces reserved for the museum's textile collection and a hosting artistic workshops for young audiences.
After a festive weekend, the Swimming Pool closed on April 2, 2018 for a period of six months in order to redesign all the spaces for the arrival of the new collections in the fall. An important work of restoration, inventory and installation could thus be done without disturbing the public.
After its long-awaited reopening on October 20, 2018, La Piscine agandie has maintained the rhythm of three seasons of annual exhibitions. A program always inspired which encourages to return regularly to this museum where the permanent collections are also very rich. Surely one of the keys to the dazzling success of this unique museum: 3 months after its reopening there were indeed more than 100,000 visitors!
Fortunately, during the colossal renovation site, a better reception of the public was anticipated.
Visitors passing through Lille (from where the museum is accessible in 1/4 hour by metro) or loyal visitors, do not hesitate to come and discover the new habit of this cultural center of the region (joint booking possible with another nearby must-see site, Villa Cavrois).
