+ POOL
Urban Swimming: A New Age for New York
Name: FLOW
Location: Brussels, Belgium
Launch Year: 2021
FLOW, Brussels, Belgium
When a group of designers first proposed outdoor swimming in Brussels, the capital of Europe, there were no open-air pools in the city. In 2016, they formed POOL IS COOL, a nonprofit that campaigns for the reintroduction of outdoor swimming in Brussels through actions, projects, research and debate. POOL IS COOL’s mission is to give all Brussels residents the opportunity to enjoy outdoor swimming as a sport and social activity in a natural way.
“Every major city in Europe has one or many public open-air pools, the capital of Europe has none,” says POOL IS COOL, “[we] take up the challenge to change this, believing strongly in the contribution of outdoor swimming to the living quality of our city.”
FLOW is currently the only open air swimming opportunity in Brussels, is run by non-profit-organization POOL IS COOL and was designed and built by Decoratelier Jozef Wouters. The temporary structure combines the simple pleasure of refreshing water with its role as social anchor and meeting place of a very diverse clientele in a neighborhood in process of transformation. The facility is managed by POOL IS COOL with a team of young people, 16 to 23 years old, from the local neighborhoods. The stunning and unique space is open 7 days a week, with the afternoons open to everyone, and special time slots for groups and swimming lessons in the mornings. FLOW also welcomes a multitude of different cultural events throughout the summer, like concerts, performances, outdoor cinema, kids activities and an educational program.