‘FLOW’ receives the award for Social Engagement for initiator POOL IS COOL’s innovative use of architecture to foster social cohesion in a deprived neighbourhood. The project features accessible infrastructure around a mobile pool, made from reused materials, offering outdoor activities, education and jobs to vulnerable local youth.
multidisciplinary design-team
POOL IS COOL,
Decoratelier Jozef Wouters.
contributing partners
Ecoworks,
Polyplan,
FIX,
Art2Work,
Brussels Environment,
Brussels Mobility,
Commune of Anderlecht.
commissioned by
POOL IS COOL
In 2021, POOL IS COOL, in collaboration with Decoratelier Jozef Wouters, launched FLOW, Brussels’ first public outdoor swimming pool in over 40 years. Measuring 17 by 8 metres, FLOW welcomes swimmers of all ages, backgrounds and genders. Located on a derelict industrial site in Anderlecht, it offers a safe space for the community to enjoy a dip.
Designed to be sustainable, FLOW operates on green energy, with its water treated naturally since summer 2023. The pool is surrounded by accessible infrastructure, built by Jozef Wouters and Decoratelier, who used modular grandstands made from reused materials. Local youth participated in the construction, creating a venue for various outdoor activities and community engagement.
As a participatory project, FLOW provides job opportunities for young people and collaborates with local partners. Reflecting Brussels’ diversity, it serves as a meeting place for families, friends and communities that typically have little interaction. By fostering social cohesion and connecting urban dwellers with nature, FLOW showcases the positive impact of outdoor swimming and serves as a successful prototype for future long-term projects.
POOL IS COOL advocates for the reintroduction of outdoor swimming in Brussels through various actions, projects, research and discussions. Founded in 2016, this non-profit organization serves as a platform for citizens leveraging their diverse expertise in architecture and urban planning to tackle the complex challenges of outdoor swimming in the European capital.
The mission of POOL IS COOL is to provide everyone who lives in Brussels with the opportunity to enjoy outdoor swimming as both a sport and a social activity in a natural setting. In 2021, they partnered with Decoratelier Jozef Wouters, a local collective of technicians and builders, to create FLOW, the first public outdoor pool in Brussels in over 40 years.
Decoratelier is a collaborative workshop that fosters artistic experimentation and creation, focusing on scenography, set design and collaborative projects. It encourages interdisciplinary cooperation among artists, designers and performers, cultivating a vibrant creative environment.
While FLOW has been successful, its future remains uncertain due to several external circumstances. To proactively address this, the prize money will be allocated to FLOW ON, a future iteration that will maintain FLOW’s accessible character while offering opportunities for the redeveloping of its physical presence.
The modular and reusable design will facilitate easy adaptation. It is essential to document the knowledge and experiences gained from FLOW to serve as a model for future urban development. The proposed FLOW retrospective will outline the social, ecological and economic aspects of FLOW’s operation, recognizing the contributions of partner organizations and individuals. Ultimately, this initiative aims to inspire and inform others in the fields of social engagement and sustainable urban solutions.
- Information for the project text was provided by POOL IS COOL and Decoratelier Jozef Wouters -
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