On New Year’s Day 2023, the swimming pool was closed and then the plug was symbolically pulled. Almost exactly a year ago, the demolition was completed and there was no sign of the old – and dilapidated – Westbad. The swimming pool is being rebuilt, the topping-out ceremony is to be celebrated next summer, and the opening is to take place in spring 2026. Uwe Siefke, head of the technical department at the Bremen swimming pools, is confident that this will work. Since the foundation stone was laid seven weeks ago, the construction project with a floor space of 2500 square meters has made great progress.
Outer circle is now closed
“When the foundation stone was laid on June 7, the base plate had been poured and the first side sections of the walls were in place,” says Siefke. “Now the outer circle is closed, the basement is finished and the inner walls and surge tanks for the water that will later flow through the gutters at the edge of the pool are in place. The bases of the pools have also already been concreted.”
Basins can be seen
And indeed: while looking through the construction fences from the street you can actually only see two large cranes, a few large piles of earth, various building materials and containers, things look completely different from the air. From above you can clearly see the large sports pool with the connected deeper diving platform area, the 100-square-metre teaching pool with a sloping floor, the two 60-square-metre course pools and the 160-square-metre family area with a 40-square-metre pool.
It’s like Lego – you lay it down, then put a layer of concrete on top and connect it to the iron.
Uwe Siefke, Head of Technology at Bremer Bäder
But not for long. Because this Thursday, the 14-person construction team will begin closing off the lower floor with a concrete slab. A total of 186 tailor-made concrete parts will be delivered from Stuhr on a low-loader and placed directly on the walls and supports using the two huge construction cranes. “The parts are numbered and are loaded in such a way that they are in the right order and can be installed straight away. It’s like Lego – you lay it down, then a layer of concrete is added on top and connected to the iron,” explains Siefke.
Upper floor to be finished by winter
According to him, the construction crew needed a week to put up the walls, and the ceiling will progress just as quickly: “By Sunday, there will already be a few panels here, 46 will be put in first, and the rest will follow later.” The plan is for the upper floor to be finished by winter.
There will be a lot to see from the ground on the construction site in the coming days, and perhaps one or two passers-by will follow the proceedings from the construction fence. There are already a few regular onlookers: “An older couple comes regularly to watch,” says Siefke, who is pleased about the public interest in the construction progress. The nighttime visitors, who have been on the construction site despite the video surveillance, are more annoying: “At the beginning, material containers were broken into, and cables were stolen. But most of the time it’s vandalism.”
Facade design: modern and abstract
The new building will later be structurally connected to the Paradice, whose facade is being redesigned by Bremen street artist Markus Genesius. He is also the designer of the giant penguins that have adorned the Paradice walls since 2007. Siefke can already reveal that the new design is more modern and abstract – but also has a connection to the theme of ice. At the edge of the construction site there is also the small pavilion with the lock from the Westbad into the outdoor pool, which will continue to exist. The outdoor pool area will remain as it is, and after construction work is completed the outdoor area will be renovated and redesigned. “But we probably won’t have it completely finished by 2026,” says Siefke.
A meadow towards the green belt
According to him, an orchard is to be planted towards the west green belt – this would also be the area where a sauna could theoretically be built. However, according to Siefke, this is still not planned – even though the sports committee of the Waller Advisory Board reiterated its demand for a sauna area in October.
Siefke is nevertheless firmly convinced: “It will be a very nice pool – even if at first glance it may seem smaller than before. We experienced that at the Horner Pool, but there is still capacity there.”
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