The city must investigate whether Eriksdalsbadet should be renovated or demolished.
Zacharias Källdén
For several years, it has been investigated how Eriksdalsbadet should be renovated. In the spring, the work was supposed to start – but now the politicians are pulling the handbrake to see if it can be demolished instead.
Since Eriksdalsbadet opened in 1999, it has been visited by far more people than expected – almost three times as many visitors a year as it is designed for.
It has worn down the facilities and for several years the city has investigated how to secure the bath for the future. It resulted in a proposal for a total renovation that would take four years and start at the beginning of 2024.
Now the real estate committee and the sports committee are pausing the planned renovation to investigate three alternative ways forward:
• Demolishing the bath and building a new one.
• To completely renovate the facility and move the national arena to another location.
• To proceed with the planned total renovation.
– Eriksdalsbadet is one of Sweden’s most visited buildings and you will be able to continue swimming and training here at Södermalm in the future as well. But with the current plan, the renovation would be very expensive, while at the same time it would be difficult to maintain the valued adventure pool. We therefore need to take a look to see how we can find better and more cost-effective solutions, says Clara Lindblom, housing and property councillor, in a comment.
Anders Kindberg, property director in the City of Stockholm.
Caroline Berg
Became more and more expensive
The longer the previous investigation has been going on, the higher the estimated cost of the renovation has become.
– Taking a break feels like a wise decision from a taxpayer perspective. It’s a big investment, so it’s good to think about whether it’s the right investment when the costs go away and that we really get the maximum return for the money, says Anders Kindberg, property director in the City of Stockholm, to Mitt i.
The estimated cost of a total renovation of coated with secrecy.
The outdoor pools have been renovated and will open in the summer.
Mostphotos
Open this summer
In the past, therefore, the investigation has been entirely focused on equipping and renovating the existing bath.
– The current shape and construction of the bath place a lot of limitations. Now we get more angles. One might think that we should have had it with us earlier, but it has become clearer the longer we have come, says Anders Kindberg.
How much money has been spent on investigations so far?
– It is a number of millions. Some of it may be futile projections, but much can be used going forward.
How will those who want to swim there be affected this summer?
– We keep going as usual. The renovation of the outdoor part will be completed by the summer and it is also possible to swim indoors. The break should not affect elite athletes, everyday exercisers or bathing children. But with the renovation being postponed, we must continue with the usual maintenance to ensure operation.
The decision to investigate the alternatives for the future of the bath will be taken at the meetings of the property committee and the sports committee on April 23.
Opposition city councilor Dennis Wedin (M) is critical of the fact that the board has not made a final decision to renovate the bath earlier and that the matter must now be investigated even more.
– Given that Eriksdalsbadet is Sweden’s national arena for swimming, now involve swimming and the government in the work so that national competence is included, he says.
Serious flaws
Eriksdalsbadet is a municipal swimming and sports facility on Södermalm in Stockholm.
The new indoor pool was commissioned in 1999 and is the city’s most visited pool, with 1.5 million visitors a year.
The bath was built according to standards and requirements that existed in the 1990s. For example, the pools were built without waterproofing, which was common at the time. Since then, development has progressed and the requirements have become higher.
Investigations have shown that there are serious deficiencies in the facility, among other things in terms of tightness, sewage installations and ventilation.
Without action, they were expected to lead to emergency shutdowns and temporary shutdowns.
Source: City of Stockholm
