Renovating a historical monument – Villeroy & Boch in the historic Finckensteinallee swimming pool in Berlin

The historic Finckensteinallee swimming pool in Lichterfelde, Berlin, documents the city’s ever-changing history better than any other pool. The pool was built for the SS in 1938 and decorated in suitably monolithic style. From 1954 onwards, it was used by US troops. After the fall of the Berlin Wall and the withdrawal of the Allied powers, the pool came under the jurisdiction of the Berlin District of Steglitz in 1994 and was run for clubs and schools. In 2014, for the first time in its 75-year history, the pool was opened to the public.

Before it opened, the building, which features a mixture of classic modern and National Socialist architectural styles, was painstakingly renovated in keeping with strict conservation requirements, bringing it up-to-date with contemporary technical and energy standards. Barrier-free access was also introduced throughout. While the old finishes in the swimming pool natatorium, portico and stairwells could be reproduced in the original materials, changing rooms and shower areas had to be completely redesigned to comply with modern requirements. During the redesign, a striking pop of colour was introduced to the otherwise materials-dominated architecture, using 10 x 10 cm vitreous tiles in Blue from Villeroy & Boch’s PRO ARCHITECTURA range, for instance. This comprehensive system concept was also used in the surrounds for the 25 x 50 m swimming pool.