Art Nouveau Bath (Darmstadt)
The Darmstadt Art Nouveau Bath is a public swimming and wellness bath in Darmstadt .
It was 1907-1909, designed by the Darmstadt city Commissioner of City Planning August Buxbaum and was for decades as a municipal swimming pool , City Baths or municipal swimming pool called. The building is characterized by decorative elements in the Art Nouveau style, while the overall shape is based more on neoclassicism and contemporary reform architecture. It is a listed building .
Historical inventory
The bath originally had two indoor swimming pools as well as areas of application for tubs and steam baths. In accordance with the moral ideas of the time, there was a clear separation of the sexes (men's bath and women's bath with separate entrances). The three-wing complex contained the women's swimming pool in its southern wing. It was destroyed in World War II. From autumn 1964 it was replaced by a functional school swimming pool and sports hall, which had to give way to a new building during the last renovation, which included the restoration of the preserved historical parts. Originally only the men's swimming pool in the north wing and the entrance area in the middle wing have been preserved. Until it was destroyed in the war, the bath also had a richly designed forecourt and arcades with pavilions on the sides .
The original roof landscape including the historic tower top was restored during the restoration in accordance with the listed buildings. Inside, despite the modernization of the last few decades, numerous rooms have been preserved in the original artistic design of Art Nouveau. These could largely be repaired and are again very colorful. The restoration began with preliminary investigations in 2001 and was carried out from 2005 to 2008.
The Art Nouveau bath is a cultural monument according to the Hessian Monument Protection Act .
The European Waterpark Association awarded the special award 2008: Art Nouveau Bath Darmstadt, for the revival of historical bathing culture .
Todays use
The reopening took place in February 2008. Today it is more of a wellness bath than a swimming pool: The modern additions in the middle and in the southern part of the complex offer an adventure area and bathing pool for children. The actual swimming pool, the former men's pool, has a 25 m pool with a depth of 1.35 m to 1.80 m.
- Picture gallery
Art Nouveau baths (facing south-west) (2011)
Art Nouveau bath, modern extension (facing north-east) (2009)
Art Nouveau bath, main entrance (2011)
Art Nouveau bath, interior view (2009)
Art Nouveau bath, interior view (2009)
Art Nouveau Bath (2017)
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literature
- Nikolaus Heiss (Ed.): Art Nouveau Bath Darmstadt . Darmstadt 2009. ISBN 978-3-87390-267-1 .
- Falco Lehmann: The Darmstadt indoor swimming pool and its restoration. A contribution of decorative art to bathing enjoyment . In: Denkmalpflege & Kulturgeschichte , year 2008, issue 2, pp. 2–8.
- Monika Vogt: Lust and love are the wings to great deeds. Encounters with historical sites of enjoyment in Hessen. o. O. 2009, p. 98 ff.
Web links
Coordinates: 49 ° 52 ′ 21.2 " N , 8 ° 39 ′ 38.5" E