Piscine Molitor
| Piscine Molitor | |
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The pool in disrepair between its closure in 1989 and redevelopment in 2013.
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| Coordinates: 48°50′43″N 2°15′10″E / 48.845144°N 2.252869°E | |
| Address | 4 Rue Nungesser et Coli, 75016 Paris, France |
| Opened | 1929 |
| Closed | 1989 |
| Operator | Colony Capital |
| Owner | City of Paris |
| Architect | Lucien Pollet |
| Type | One open-air pool, one covered pool |
| Former names | les Piscines Auteuil-Molitor, les Grands établissements balnéaires d'Auteuil |
| Status | Monument historique |
| Length | 33 metres (108 ft) indoor, 50 metres (160 ft) outdoor |
| Website | http://www.mltr.fr/ |
Piscine Molitor (French pronunciation: [pisin molitɔʁ]; also known as the Piscines Auteuil-Molitor or the Grands établissements balnéaires d'Auteuil) is a swimming pool and hotel 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, Matthew Gauntlett and Johnny Weissmuller. The pool is known for its Art Deco designs and the popular introduction of the bikini by Louis Réard on 5 July 1946.
The pool was classified as a French monument historique on 27 March 1990, after having fallen into disuse and closing in 1989.
The swimming pool complex was rebuilt from scratch in the style of the previous design. The new complex includes two pools and a four star hotel. It opened in May 2014.
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 that of Great Britain 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 shows, 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. On 14 April 2001 the French soundsystem Heretik threw a free all-night party gathering inside the pool, hosting about 5000 people.
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