Piscine des Amiraux

Piscine des Amiraux is an Art Deco indoor swimming facility in Clignancourt with distinctive white ceramic tiling throughout and multiple tiers of viewing balconies surrounding the central pool area. The building combines the public swimming center with residential apartments in a single integrated structure.

Architect Henri Sauvage designed and built the structure between 1922 and 1927 as a mixed-use project combining public facilities with housing. The pool emerged during an era when public swimming centers were seen as essential infrastructure for community health and public welfare.

The pool became a gathering place where local workers could access modern bathing facilities for the first time, representing a democratic approach to leisure. The white ceramic surfaces and bright design reflected contemporary ideals about cleanliness and public well-being.

The facility operates with a numbered cabin system rather than standard lockers, providing secure storage for personal belongings while swimming. This setup works smoothly for visitors, as it was designed specifically for bathers.

The building gained wide recognition after appearing in the French film Amelie and has since become a symbol of interwar Parisian architecture. Its stepped facade with individual terraces for each apartment represents a rare example of creative urban housing from that era.