High-rise swimming pools proposed by Linke for construction - Advocates push for installation of outdoor swimming pools on building rooftops
Berlin and Vienna, two vibrant European cities, each offer unique swimming experiences, but when it comes to rooftop swimming pools integrated into municipal housing, they present a stark contrast.
Berlin, known for its diverse public and semi-public pools such as the Badeschiff and hotel rooftop pools, appears to lack a widespread presence of rooftop pools within municipal housing buildings. While the city boasts innovative concepts like the floating pool on the Spree River, a direct public program or extensive implementation of rooftop pools in municipal housing is yet to be established.
On the other hand, Vienna serves as a model for municipal housing, integrating public amenities like pools, parks, and shared spaces into residential developments. Known as the Vienna model, this approach prioritises accessibility, quality, and communal use. However, specific references to swimming pools within this model were not readily available.
One of Vienna's notable examples is the Triiiple residential towers, which feature rooftop swimming pools. The city's housing system also includes a fee for the use and operation of pools and saunas as part of the tenants' operating costs. The Red Metropolis project, aimed at improving the quality of life in the city by 2040, includes the Left Party's proposal for rooftop swimming pools.
In Berlin, the Left Party, led by Maximilian Schirmer, co-state chairman, and Kerstin Wolter, state chairwoman, has proposed adding swimming pools to the planning of new municipal projects. This proposal, part of the Red Metropolis project, also includes the idea of a river bath in Mitte, Berlin. However, the district of Marzahn-Hellersdorf, home to approximately 300,000 people, currently lacks any public swimming pools.
Accessibility to public swimming pools in Berlin remains a challenge for many residents, who often face long journeys and queues. Kerstin Wolter, the state chairwoman, has advocated for more efforts to make bathing in the Spree possible. The Left Party's proposal aims to make swimming pools available for communal or public use, addressing these accessibility issues.
As the Left Party continues to push for rooftop swimming pools in Berlin, residents wait for official announcements or policy updates from the city's housing authority for a potential shift towards a more accessible and integrated swimming culture.
- The contrast between Berlin and Vienna is apparent in their integrations of rooftop pools into municipal housing, with Vienna standing as a model for such amenities and Berlin yet to establish a direct public program or extensive implementation.
- Vienna demonstrates a priority on accessibility, quality, and communal use with residential developments including amenities like pools and parks, such as the Triiiple residential towers featuring rooftop swimming pools.
- Despite the Left Party's proposal in Berlin for rooftop swimming pools, the district of Marzahn-Hellersdorf, home to around 300,000 people, currently lacks any public swimming pools, making accessibility a challenge for residents.
- As the Left Party advocates for more accessible and integrated swimming culture in Berlin through rooftop swimming pools like the proposed river bath in Mitte, residents eagerly await updates from the city's housing authority.
