Swim­ming in the Seine

With the Annette K swim­ming ship, Paris didn’t simply place a swim­ming pool on the water. At the Port de Javel Bas, a 110-meter-long floa­ting sports, health, and recrea­tion faci­lity was created, combi­ning a 50-meter pool with fitness, physical therapy, well­ness, and dining. The Seine is not merely an attrac­tive back­drop here. Its move­ment, its light, and its unique posi­tion within the urban land­scape define the archi­tec­ture of the entire struc­ture.

Annette K is located in the 15th arron­dis­se­ment on the southwes­tern edge of central Paris, a few kilo­me­ters down­stream from the Eiffel Tower. The project emerged from the “Réin­venter la Seine” compe­ti­tion, the winner of which was selected in 2017. It was desi­gned by the Paris-based firm Seine Design—which specia­lizes in floa­ting architecture—under the direc­tion of Gérard Ronz­atti and Matthieu Ronz­atti. Cons­truc­tion began in 2020, and the faci­lity was completed in 2023. The client and operator is Javel Enter­tain­ment.

Span­ning an area of appro­xi­m­ately 4,500 square meters, the Bade­schiff offers an unusually wide range of amen­i­ties: a 50-meter-long outdoor pool, sun decks, fitness and sports faci­li­ties, physical therapy, balneo­the­rapy, a sauna, locker rooms, a café, a restau­rant, and spacious terraces. The faci­lity is thus desi­gned not only to serve as a place for exer­cise, but also to combine physical acti­vity, reco­very, health, and socia­li­zing throug­hout the day. The reported cons­truc­tion costs amount to 16 million euros.

The key archi­tec­tural concept lies in the posi­tion of the swim­ming pool. It was not built into the hull of the ship, but rather placed, as it were, on top of the buil­ding.

From the outside, the elon­gated stain­less-steel tub looks like the inverted hull of a second ship resting on the actual pontoon. Steel, wood, and glass rein­force this mari­time character.

The pool is much more than just a container for water. Its subs­truc­ture serves as both the load-bearing frame­work and the tech­nical infra­struc­ture for the floors below. Columns, pipes, cables, and other utili­ties remain largely visible; this made it possible to avoid suspended ceilings and addi­tional raised floors.

The tech­nical systems of a swim­ming pool, which are other­wise often hidden, become a defi­ning feature of the inte­rior spaces.

Two light­weight, arched canopies shelter the ends of the pool and parts of the adja­cent terraces. Between them, the view opens up to the sky, the water, and the shore­line land­scape. A walking path runs around the upper deck, encir­cling the buil­ding like a narrow ribbon and offe­ring views in all direc­tions. The sports faci­li­ties thus extend all the way to the outer edge of the ship.

Water remains a presence even on the lower levels. Port­holes and glass openings allow daylight to stream through the swim­ming pool into the rooms below. The move­ments of the swim­mers, reflec­tions on the water’s surface, and the shif­ting light of the Seine all blend toge­ther. Shim­me­ring images emerge on the inte­rior surfaces, which the firm itself asso­ciates with the Impres­sio­nists’ studies of water.

The goal of inte­gra­ting sports, health, and ever­yday life is also reflected in the facility’s layout. The swim­ming pool is visible from nume­rous areas of the buil­ding and acces­sible via various routes. During the plan­ning phase, Seine Design colla­bo­rated with experts in adap­tive and inclu­sive sports. Access points, move­ment areas, and the use of the pool were desi­gned not only to be formally acces­sible but also to be truly prac­tical for people with a variety of physical abili­ties.

This open­ness also extends to the mix of uses. In the same buil­ding, compe­ti­tive swim­mers mingle with fitness enthu­si­asts, physical therapy pati­ents, restau­rant patrons, and people who simply want to spend time by the water. Annette K is ther­e­fore neither a swim­ming pool faci­lity nor a tradi­tional health center, nor is it an ordi­nary recrea­tional dining venue. It is precisely the overlap of these offe­rings that gives it its urban character.

Floa­ting swim­ming pools have a long history in Paris. Bathing faci­li­ties have existed on the Seine since the 17th century. The most famous of these was the Piscine Deligny, a 50-meter pool with chan­ging rooms, sun decks, dining options, and a vibrant social scene. The pool, which was last anchored near the Place de la Concorde, sank within a few minutes in 1993 and was not rebuilt. In 2006, the José­phine Baker, another floa­ting pool, carried on this tradi­tion.

Annette K draws from Deligny not so much the histo­rical archi­tec­ture as the idea of the pool as a social space. Swim­ming is at the heart of it, but it’s not the only reason for its exis­tence. People work out, sunbathe, eat, meet others, or take in views of the city from the water. The name also pays homage to the Austra­lian swimmer, actress, and health advo­cate Annette Kellerman, who cham­pioned freedom of move­ment in sports and more prac­tical swim­wear for women in the early 20th century.