Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Saint-Georges swimming pool, built between 1923 and 1926 in Rennes, is the culmination of a municipal project initiated in 1911 by architect Emmanuel Le Ray. Designed as a hygienist equipment, it includes bath-douchs and a 33,33 × 14 m basin, decorated by Isidore Odorico with Briare enamels, emblematic of Art Deco. Its initial location, planned rue Alphonse Guérin, is finally fixed at the corner of Gambetta and Victor Hugo streets, near Saint George's Palace.

The project, carried by the mayors Jean Janvier and later Carle Bahon, faces local criticisms, notably of the newspaper L的Ouest-Éclair, which considers the expenditure excessive in a tense financial context. Despite these oppositions, the pool was inaugurated on 4 July 1926, financed in part by a state subsidy. Its architecture combines tuffeau, red bricks, and flaming sandstone, reflecting the aesthetics of Provincial Art Deco and the hygienist principles of the era.

In 1999, the basin enamel frieze, degraded by chlorine, was replaced by an Italian copy. Ranked a historic monument in 2016, the pool is recognized as one of the most beautiful in the world, notably after the Museum of the Moon exhibition in 2017. In 2025, a €28 million renovation plan was launched to modernize the building while preserving its Art Deco heritage, following incidents related to its old age.

The swimming pool also illustrates the evolution of cultural and sporting practices in Rennes. In the 21st century, it became an emblematic place, mixing architectural heritage and contemporary issues such as energy sobriety. Its ranking and international reputation underline its importance in the history of French public architecture.

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