Better than new

The future of many indoor swim­ming pools depends not only on new cons­truc­tion, but above all on exis­ting faci­li­ties. The Hörde Indoor Swim­ming Pool is a striking example of how a well-planned reno­va­tion, carried out with dedi­cated part­ners and opera­tors, can ensure the long-term preser­va­tion of an important sports faci­lity. The first part of our report focuses prima­rily on the story behind this exem­plary project.

When people in Germany talk about indoor swim­ming pools, the conver­sa­tion often revolves around a backlog of reno­va­tions, rising opera­ting costs, or impen­ding closures. The Hörde Indoor Swim­ming Pool tells a diffe­rent story. It shows that preser­ving exis­ting sports faci­li­ties can be successful even under diffi­cult condi­tions when dedi­cated people take respon­si­bi­lity and strong part­ners work toge­ther to find a solu­tion.

The history of swim­ming in Dort­mund-Hörde is closely intert­wined with the district’s indus­trial deve­lo­p­ment and swim­ming culture. The most promi­nent local club is the SSC Hörde. For many decades, its indoor pool has been an inte­gral part of sporting life in southern Dort­mund. Gene­ra­tions of children have learned to swim here; schools use the pool for swim­ming lessons, and clubs use it for trai­ning and compe­ti­tions. In addi­tion, the faci­lity serves as an important gathe­ring place for recrea­tional and health-oriented sports.

This makes the pool much more than just a sports facility—it is a piece of social infra­struc­ture and an important part of the neigh­bor­hood.

The Hörde 54/58 Swim­ming and Sports Club (e. V.) plays a special role in this regard. Since 2003, the club has been opera­ting the indoor pool on its own—a model that was excep­tional then and remains so today. Thanks to a great deal of volun­teer dedi­ca­tion, orga­niza­tional exper­tise, and a lot of passion, the club has succeeded not only in main­tai­ning the faci­lity but also in conti­nuously impro­ving it.

Today, the pool offers much more than just tradi­tional swim­ming lessons. School swim­ming programs, club and compe­ti­tive sports, aqua fitness, scuba diving, a gym, a sauna, as well as preven­tive health and physical therapy services make the faci­lity a versa­tile sports and health center for people of all ages—and its reach extends far beyond the club itself.

Despite this dedi­ca­tion, the passage of time had also taken its toll on the Hörde Indoor Swim­ming Pool. In parti­cular, the central 25-meter pool had dete­rio­rated to such an extent that a complete reno­va­tion was neces­sary. Toge­ther with the City of Dort­mund, which provided finan­cial support for the project, SSC Hörde decided to under­take a compre­hen­sive moder­niza­tion to ensure the long-term opera­tion of the faci­lity for schools, clubs, and the general public.

It is parti­cu­larly worth noting in this context that, to opti­mize swim­ming instruc­tion, the faci­lity has been desi­gned to allow the five stan­dard compe­ti­tion lanes to be converted into six trai­ning lanes with reduced lane widths.

It became clear early on that the project would go far beyond a simple pool reno­va­tion. The exis­ting struc­ture, the current diving faci­lity, and the unique spatial condi­tions called for a solu­tion that had to be both tech­ni­cally sound and econo­mic­ally viable.

Deye Consul­ting of Hatten was commis­sioned to handle the plan­ning. Toge­ther with its tech­no­logy partner, Myrtha Pools, the engi­nee­ring firm deve­loped a reno­va­tion concept speci­fi­cally tail­ored to the chal­lenges posed by the exis­ting struc­ture. The goal was to preserve the exis­ting pool geometry, provide long-term protec­tion for the buil­ding struc­ture, and at the same time create the condi­tions for modern, safe, and cost-effec­tive opera­tion.

Thal­lessa Frei­zeit­an­lagen was respon­sible for the imple­men­ta­tion. Despite chal­len­ging condi­tions, the project was completed within a tight sche­dule. Since its reope­ning in April 2026, the swim­ming pool has once again been fully available to schools, clubs, and the public.

The reno­va­tion of the Hörde indoor swim­ming pool is much more than just the refur­bish­ment of a swim­ming pool. It demons­trates that preser­ving exis­ting swim­ming faci­li­ties is possible even under diffi­cult economic condi­tions, provided that muni­ci­pa­li­ties, clubs, and specia­lized plan­ning part­ners work toge­ther to share respon­si­bi­lity.

Many older indoor swim­ming pools, in parti­cular, face similar chal­lenges today. The project in Dort­mund demons­trates that inno­va­tive reno­va­tion concepts can be a cost-effec­tive alter­na­tive to new cons­truc­tion, thereby opening up new possi­bi­li­ties for preser­ving the swim­ming pool land­scape.

To be continued
In the second part of our project report, we take a look behind the scenes of the reno­va­tion. How was the exis­ting pool preserved? What struc­tural chal­lenges had to be over­come? And why did pool tech­no­logy play a crucial role in the process? The tech­nical history of this extra­or­di­nary project provides the answers.