The Saint-Georges swimming pool in Rennes was the city’s first municipal swimming pool, built between 1923 and 1926. A project initiated by the then mayor, Jean Janvier, and designed by Emmanuel Le Ray, to whom we owe other iconic buildings. At the time, the people of Rennes were opposed to it because it was too expensive and considered useless, too far from the concerns of the time. A “monstrosity”, even wrote Ouest-Éclair.
Whole generations of people from Rennes have learned to swim there. Today it is considered one of the most emblematic buildings. An art deco style, which gives the impression of going back in time, mosaics were designed by Isodore Odorico, a well-known artist in Rennes… And hidden corners, unknown to the inhabitants, that the Télégramme invites you to discover on video.
In 2016, the building was classified as a historic building. But in a hundred years of existence, it has never known a complete overhaul. And it really needs it today: a pool that is cracking, very poor energy performance, a roof that is crumbling… A major overhaul seems inevitable. The project was on Nathalie Appéré’s program in 2020 but the budgetary difficulties linked to inflation decided her to postpone the project to the next term. Will Saint-Georges hold out until then?
