Early Modern · Architecture

Piscine Molitor

Paris

Piscine Molitor is a nautical and hotel complex in Paris, located near the Bois de Boulogne between Stade Roland-Garros and Parc des Princes, and set between Avenue de la Porte-Molitor, Boulevard d’Auteuil, and Rue Nungesser-et-Coli. Designed by architect Lucien Pollet and built in 1929 by Les belles piscines de France, it combined a traditional indoor pool with an outdoor Olympic pool surrounded by two floors of cabins. The facility was described as the only building of its type and was decorated with work by artisans including master glassmaker Louis Barillet. Inaugurated in 1929 by Olympic medalist swimmers Aileen Riggin Soule and Johnny Weissmuller, it became known for its Art Deco decoration and for events such as the first bikini appearance after 1945. Nicknamed “le paquebot blanc,” it closed in 1989 and was later listed as a historic monument. After partial destruction, a building inspired by the original Art Deco pool was rebuilt on the site and reopened after two and a half years of construction. The complex now includes winter and summer pools, a 124-room hotel, a restaurant, a bar, a rooftop terrace, and a Spa by Clarins.

Map showing the location of Piscine Molitor in Paris
Location of Piscine Molitor in Paris

Nearby Objects

Art Deco Pool Complex in Western Paris

Piscine Molitor is a nautical and hotel complex in Paris, located next to the Bois de Boulogne and between Stade Roland-Garros and Parc des Princes. It stands within the area defined by Avenue de la Porte-Molitor, Boulevard d'Auteuil, and Rue Nungesser-et-Coli. The complex was inaugurated in 1929 by Olympic medalist swimmers Aileen Riggin Soule and Johnny Weissmuller. It became known for its Art Deco decoration and for hosting events associated with cultural change, including the first bikini appearance after 1945. It was also nicknamed le paquebot blanc.

The site originally closed in 1989 and was later listed as a historic monument. At an unspecified date, it was partially destroyed, which caused controversy. A building inspired by its Art Deco pool was then rebuilt on the site, and the rebuilt Molitor opened after two and a half years of construction. The complex now includes winter and summer pools, with the winter pool measuring 33 meters, as well as a 124-room hotel. Its current facilities also include a restaurant, bar, rooftop terrace, and a Spa by Clarins.

Swimming Pools in Early 20th Century Paris

Piscine Molitor belongs to a period when water sports and leisure were becoming more important in France in the early 20th century. In Paris, about fifteen swimming pools emerged during the 1920s and 1930s, reflecting this growing interest in public bathing and recreation. The wider context also shows that France was behind Germany and Great Britain in swimming pool infrastructure in 1922, when Germany had 1,700 public swimming pools and Great Britain had 800. Within this setting, Piscine Molitor is part of the expansion of urban swimming facilities in the capital during the interwar period.

Design and Original Features

Piscine Molitor was designed by architect Lucien Pollet, who also designed the swimming pools Pontoise, Pailleron, de la Jonquiere, and Stade Nautique de Reims. According to Historique, the Piscines Auteuil-Molitor were built by Les belles piscines de France at porte Molitor in the 16th arrondissement of Paris in 1929. Pollet conceived the complex as a combination of a traditional indoor pool and an outdoor Olympic pool, with the summer pool surrounded by three levels of cabins. The facility also included a physical culture room.

The building was described as unique, the only building of its type. Pollet named it Les Grands etablissements balneaires d'Auteuil to highlight sport, wellness, and leisure. Its Art Deco style was inspired by ocean liners and marked by porthole windows. Pollet also involved top artisans, including master glassmaker Louis Barillet, for the stained glass decorations at the summer pool entrance and the large glass roof. The summer pool was originally bordered by sandy beaches until the late 1970s.

Closure, Preservation, and Reconstruction

Piscine Molitor was closed permanently during the summer of 1989, when it was also threatened with demolition. The city of Paris had presented a real estate project proposal in 1989 that included destroying the winter pool, rebuilding the summer pool inside a hotel complex, and adding a parking lot. The day after closure, the facade and main entrances were boarded up. In response to the threat, frequent users and neighborhood residents created the SOS Molitor association. The pool was entirely registered as a historic monument by governmental decree, and it was listed on the monuments historiques since 1990. Further real estate projects were stopped after the Ministry of Culture issued a negative opinion on the building permit from the city of Paris.

The pool remained closed for nearly twenty years. In 1994, a new association named Piscines Molitor succeeded SOS-Molitor with the aim of rehabilitating and reopening the pools, while preserving the spirit of architect Lucien Pollet. Piscines Molitor also pursued several legal actions against the city of Paris at the Paris administrative tribunal. At a later stage, three groups competed for the rehabilitation of the site: Colony Capital SAS, ICADE / Caisse des depots et consignations, and GTM Batiment. The Paris city hall launched a call for candidates in 2010, then selected the Colony Capital-Accor-Bouygues group on September 29, 2010. The renovation project was designed by architects Alain Derbesse, Alain-Charles Perrot, and Jacques Rougerie, and a 50-year emphyteutic lease was signed on November 18, 2010.

Renovations began at the end of 2011, and the pool was planned to reopen in 2014. However, in 2012 the site was completely destroyed except for the East facade wall and some decorative elements. Only the East facade wall, about ten meters wide, and some decorative elements remain from the 1929 building. The indoor pool retains its original location and unique length, while the outdoor pool was originally Olympic length and was shortened. The reconstructed complex later opened with a five-star luxury hotel named MGallery, with 124 rooms all overlooking the summer pool, as well as two restaurants, a spa, and a sports club. The opening also included street art murals and Art Deco stained glass windows. Despite this reuse, the site has continued to face controversy over changes to its spirit and character, and architecture historian Jean-Francois Cabestan described the reconstruction program as disfiguring Lucien Pollet's work.

Access and Current Use

Piscine Molitor is now a private facility. Access to the historic swimming pool is restricted to hotel guests and members of Club de Molitor. Individual access to the spa, pools, and gym at Club de Molitor requires payment of a specified admission fee as well as an annual membership fee. This arrangement marks a clear shift from public use to a controlled private setting.

Piscine Molitor in Popular Culture

Piscine Molitor has been referenced repeatedly in popular culture. In the novel L'Histoire de Pi, the protagonist's first name is Piscine Molitor, later abbreviated to Pi, with the name Pi serving as an homage to the swimming pool. The pool also appears as a setting in the music video Nudes by Claire Laffut and Yseult, and it is mentioned in the song Takotsubo by Nekfeu. In television, it appears in Emily in Paris, where Emily Cooper and Mindy Chen drink cocktails there. The pool is also documented in the short TV report L'Enfer de la Nuit, which features the outdoor swimming pool in a 6 minute segment, and it is discussed in Heretik System, We Had a Dream, where the Molitor swimming pool is covered between 35 min 10 s and 45 min 00 s.