Pontoise swimming pool, Art Deco swimming pool in Latin Quarter, Paris, France
Pontoise swimming pool occupies a brick building with pale stone trim at 19, rue de Pontoise in the 5th arrondissement. Its angled entrance canopy overhangs the pavement, and a wide glazed front with dark metal framing shows the lit interior. Inside, the 25-metre pool sits under a glass roof, surrounded by 1930s Art Deco decoration by Lucien Pollet's chosen decorators.
The facility was designed by architect Lucien Pollet and opened in 1933 as an important example of French Art Deco design. It received historical monument status in 1998 in recognition of its architectural importance to the city.
The pool appears in Krzysztof Kieślowski's Trois Couleurs: Bleu (1993), Claude Sautet's Nelly et Monsieur Arnaud (1995), Jean-Pierre Jeunet's Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain (2001) and Étienne Chatiliez's Tanguy (2001). For the first Nuit Blanche in 2002, Nathalie Junod Ponsard installed her light work Deep Water here.
The pool is easily accessible by public transportation and offers multiple areas for swimming and fitness activities. Visitors should check opening hours in advance and be prepared for busier times, especially on weekday afternoons.
The pool's Art Deco decor was created by leading 1930s designers, some of whom also worked on transatlantic ocean liners. In 1936, Commander Cousteau conducted his first diving tests in a scuba suit here. The site was closed in 2019 for corrosion and restored by Pierre Marchand Architecte du Patrimoine, reopening in 2023 as Espace Sportif Pontoise.
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