2021 China Fellowship
Examining Social Justice Beneath the Surface: Taking European Public Swimming Pools as a Clue

Research Background and Significance

The swimming pool is a public space with visual and tactile intimacy. The ownership of swimming pools has always been in dispute, relating to social segregation, racial discrimination, gender equality, and immigrant integration.

In 2600 BC the first swimming pool was built in Pakistan, which is considered to have been used for religious ceremonies rather than bathing or swimming. Later in ancient Greece and Rome, swimming pools were regarded as public spaces exclusive to the upper class, where people bathed, swam, read, and held social activities. It was not until the nineteenth century that swimming became popular as a sport in places such as England, Germany, and Sweden. However, the preciousness of water resources limited the possibility of swimming pools as public spaces in communities where working class or disadvantaged groups lived. Most could only swim or bathe in public rivers and lakes.

In the United States in the nineteenth century, middle-class men did not allow black men and middle-class women to swim in the same pool, which triggered a series of movements to occupy the swimming pool. In response, the rich turned their attention to the private swimming pool as a symbol of wealth and freedom. The swimming pool became a must-have item in the villa even if it was seldom used. The rise of private swimming pools helped lead to the decline of public swimming pools, and the government no longer seemed as invested in constructing them. First, with the rising affordability of indoor plumbing, people’s bathing problem no longer needed to be solved by building swimming pools. Second, swimming is affected by climate conditions such as temperature. In winter, a large number of swimming pools will become empty spaces in the city. At the same time, people are no longer allowed to swim in many rivers and lakes and swimming pools are getting farther and farther away from vulnerable groups.

Public swimming pools have unique community attributes because people often come to the swimming pool from different parts of the city, change into their swimsuits, and have intimate contact with the water in a very public setting. Jeff Wiltse wrote in the book Contested Waters: A Social History of Swimming Pools in America that the social status of people fades away in swimming pools, and everyone can enjoy freedom and fairness in it. Therefore, I believe that the swimming pool not only has the potential to enable everyone to enjoy the public life of the community, but also is a mirror that reflects social justice.

In epidemic and post-epidemic times, virtual public spaces have replaced traditional physical ones. But I believe that the vitality of the city lies in real encounters and the coexistence of people, which can inspire public power. The epidemic has aggravated the inequality of public space. Through examining the importance of public pools, I hope to make more people aware of the importance of this kind of community intimacy and its role in contributing to social justice.

Research Purposes

1. Fill in gaps in public swimming pool research by investigating the current status of community swimming pools.

2. Test potentials for social justice by visiting and analyzing existing public swimming pools in Europe.

3. Research how to maintain social fairness and community intimacy in a hydrophilic space in post-epidemic times.

4. Explore the possibility of swimming pool development in the future by defining new functions and transformations.

Personal Interests

My interest in swimming pools stems from the experience of swimming in outdoor reservoirs in childhood. When it was hot, many people jumped into it to play and swim. Even people who could not swim would enjoy this public life on the on the banks. After that, swimming was confined to the indoor sports pool and the pool was no longer a freely accessible public place. More recently, the Chinese government set up a waterway where people could wet their feet in a public square, which became a lively place in the community after dinner. The splashing water is fair and kind to everyone.

Conclusion

Of all the pools visited, there were few pools that restricted gender or race. Some pools also cater for people with disabilities or nonswimmers. It can be seen that the current development of swimming pools in these cities is positively related to social equity to a certain extent. At the same time, the development of swimming pools is diverse and flexible, varying in different countries.

In Paris, swimming pools often have a long history and thus create a strong connection with the community. In the swimming pool, people can also appreciate these ancient architectural arts. On the other hand, some new types of swimming pools are also emerging, especially in the Seine or other natural rivers. With the improvement of people's awareness of environmental protection and yearning for outdoor water-friendly spaces, some experimental projects are emerging to help people return to natural swimming pools while improving water quality.

In Zurich and Lucerne, swimming pools are often multifunctional spaces, often combining sports, bar, and social functions. People are more inclined to swim outdoors, which relies on higher accessibility. The development of swimming pools has undergone changes from the original natural waters to indoor spaces and back to nature. While having multifunctional properties, the swimming pool is sometimes used as an art or music space, which makes good use of the spatial characteristics of the swimming pool. They offer ideas for the reuse of disused indoor pools, while showing examples of outdoor pools used as social spaces.

In Stockholm and Gothenburg, people spent less time swimming because of cooler temperatures at high latitudes. The number of swimming pools is small and most of them are in the form of sports venues. However, it can be seen from the hydrophilic platform and outdoor sauna places that people yearn for being close to natural water sources. For such areas with less developed water systems, the swimming pool can be presented in a smaller scale. For example, water purification areas can be built in parks or ground fountains in squares.

In Copenhagen, the popularity of swimming pools is closely related to the improvement of water quality. The free outdoor swimming pool is more like a place for entertainment and leisure, so that more people can participate in it and benefit, whether they are residents or tourists. At the same time, swimming and good water quality have become one of the labels of the city and a point of pride for the citizens. This reflects the positive role of swimming pools in urban development. In addition to reflecting social equity, it can also promote the improvement of citizens' awareness of environmental protection and the development of public facilities and technology.

In general, the historical development of swimming pools in Europe differs from that in the United States. Most cities are paying more and more attention to swimming pools as cultural and leisure places, and have set up websites to serve more people. A microcosm of social justice can also be glimpsed in a small swimming pool.

Last but not least, I am grateful to the SOM Foundation for providing this study tour opportunity, which allowed me to truly feel the culture and history of different regions during the trip.