Grünauer Welle, sports and leisure pool in Grünau, Leipzig, Germany

Grünauer Welle is a sports and leisure pool on Stuttgarter Allee in Leipzig-Grünau, opened in 1999. Its polygonal plan avoids right angles, and three timber roof shells resemble drifted floes, a deconstructivist design by Behnisch, Behnisch & Partner. Concrete and glass dominate inside and out; the pools are stainless steel, with a total water area of 668 m², including a 25-metre, six-lane sports pool and a leisure area behind a movable glass wall.

Plans for a pool in Grünau date to the late 1960s, when ten "Anklam"-type public pools were to be built for Leipzig; this one was never realised. After reunification, an architecture competition in 1996 was won by Behnisch, Behnisch & Partner, and the foundation stone was laid in December 1997. The pool opened on 20 March 1999 as Leipzig's first municipal indoor pool in 26 years, costing between 22 and 25.5 million DM.

The name combines the Grünau district with the wave-like wooden roof forms, which the architects shaped as three drifting floes. The pool replaced a Volksschwimmhalle of the "Anklam" type planned for Grünau since the late 1960s but never built. Its stainless-steel pools and flexible glass wall dividing the sports and leisure areas are visible inside.

The facility is located in southern Grünau-Mitte along Stuttgarter Allee and is easily accessible by bus, tram, and S-Bahn. The complex offers changing rooms and showers, is accessible for visitors of all ages, and includes a cafeteria for refreshments after swimming.

The wooden roof is shaped like three drifted floes, and its solar absorbers heat the pool water, cutting the need for district heating. At its opening in 1999 the building was counted among Europe's most energy-efficient indoor pools. The design by Behnisch, Behnisch & Partner was chosen precisely for its contrast with the surrounding Plattenbauten.