Issue No. 21

Roubaix is in the suburbs of Lille, capital of
Hauts-de-France (Nord, Pas de Calais,
Picardy). It was once famous for its textile
production, an industry which had been
active in the area since the 14th century. In
the 19th century Roubaix was known as the
“French Manchester”, one of the world
capitals of textiles. It was also called the
“city of a thousand chimneys” and its
factories proliferated well into the 20th
century. It's from those times that La
Piscine comes.
The municipal swimming pool was built in
1932, commissioned by the Mayor and
designed by architect Albert Baert. In its
day it was cutting edge – a stunning art
deco monument, not just a pool but it also
had bathrooms for men and women at a
time when most poor people didn’t have
access to such things. It was much loved
and stayed in use until 1985 when it closed
needing complete renovation after chlorine
in the water caused damage to the
structure, especially the roof.
By then, the textile industry had also
declined and Roubaix found itself
undergoing a dramatic change. The city
councillors decided to ensure that the
heritage of Roubaix was preserved and
were awarded a label of “City of Art and
History. They needed somewhere to house
their expanding art collection and Bruno
Gaudichon, now director of La Piscine,
admits choosing the former swimming pool
area as the location, was “a gamble, as by
now, Roubaix had a lot of industrial empty
industrial buildings”.