Take a dip in this architectural marvel.
Throughout Normandy , France , you ’ll find a profusion of medieval - count , half - timbered homes . The cock-and-bull story houses offer a crude demarcation to the spectral bunker on the surrounding beach where World War II ’s most illustrious battle bawl out . yard fold to Normandy to partake in D - Day tourism every year , an experience that is move and significant — and emotionally wearying . Luckily , in the seaside town of Deauville , there ’s an oasis .
In this region of sharp ocular contrasts , the resort hotel town is home to one of norther France ’s most pleasantly alluring surprise : thePiscine Olympique . This gorgeous Modernist swimming building complex offers a serene abatement from diachronic solemnity and serves as a stunning reminder that the beaches of Normandy are n’t just for chronicle buffs .
The Piscine Olympique is the vision of Gallic designer Roger Taillibert , who completed the project in 1966 . He travel on to design the Olympic complex in Montreal ( despite the name , Deauville has not hosted the Olympics ) , the Parc des Princes football arena in Paris , and other projects .
Sandrine Boyer Engel/Deauville
The complex has a unique nautical dash : white pre - stressed concrete “ sails ” pitch in ridges constitute its exterior and create a resulting concave / convex ceiling inside . The construction posture directly on the beach ( d’eau means “ of water ” ) and draw the pee for its twopoolsdirectly from the sea . Architect Arrol Gellner , who Colorado - wroteStorybook Style : Whimsical Homes of the 1920swith Douglas Keister , says of the pool , “ It has a unfitness that ’s kind of comparable to the old , worn Normandy computer architecture . It ’s not angulate , not mechanical at all — as a Modernist construction , it ’s kind of warm and fuzzed . ”
Swimming in such an over-the-top outer space is a multi - sensory experience , as looking glass walls show the beauty just outside and bring in Inner Light . take down Lebanese - American architect Charles Debbas points out that the concrete shell structure permits the interior to be monolithic : “ As the daytime goes by and idle change , you have a greater variety of experience in there . ”
Sandrine Chardon , headland of communication for the inDeauville tourism organisation , says the Piscine Olympique received an norm of 275 visitant a day this summertime . My menage and I were well-chosen to be among them on an overcast summer 24-hour interval as dark clouds hovered over the curved white structure . After days of visit museums , bunkers , and war cemeteries , it experience good to stop being a tourist and just float .
The pool’s roof, a lineup of pre-stressed concrete “sails,” truly sets it apart.|Hemis/Alamy
The puddle — one family line friendly , one for lap swimmers — were pristine , no doubt because of the rigid rules one must come to go in them . visitant are required to shower , wear a swim jacket crown ( more on that later ) , and take the air through two shallow pools of about 8 inches deep to clean their feet before infix the main pool , which is heated to a balmy 80 level Fahrenheit class - circular .
However , it was n’t the inexpensive dip we ’d project . Incidentals mounted to € 100 ( presently , the equivalent of $ 109 ) . We had purchased towel beforehand ( it would have been € 3 for a half - 60 minutes rental for each of us ) , but were capture unaware by other unexpected charges .
My husband was prevented from going in the pool because his board shorts were n’t allow . He was commit to the vending machine to purchase a € 15 Speedo … something he thought he ’d never in his spirit wear . likewise , I was wear a two - piece , and my humble swim short were deemed “ too sexy ” by the lifesaver on duty . In an inspired moment , I realized my black underclothes looked exactly the same as what was in the vending automobile for women , so I returned to the locker room to put them back on , thus cavorting on holiday in my underwearandsaving a little money .
French celebrities Marie Laforêt and Maurice Chevalier celebrating the pool’s 1966 inauguration with a traditional Champagne ceremony.|Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone/Getty Images
And a final hurdle : all four of us had to purchase a soft cloth swimming bonnet branded “ Deauville ” on the side ( basically a swim hood , but liltingly squall a “ sweem bonnay ” by the front - desk person ) to cover our hair and feel like Esther Williams aquacade hopefuls . The plus side of this unexpected souvenir ? We have them for next time .
Our trip to Normandy gave us plenty of pic and computer storage . We visit German bunkers and Sainte - Mère - Eglise church , whose roof have a mannikin with its parachute straps caught in the summit ( the real guy rope live on to tell the tale ) . We even saw the site where Joan of Arc was burn up .
Yet for an afternoon we float . It was a unagitated counterpoint to all the heavy - hearted sites we ’d shoot the breeze . And since we get to France by way of London , now when I hear the puerility rime , “ I seeLondon , I see France , I see someone ’s underpants , ” I will reflect that I actually lived it .
Piscine Olympic is a favorite venue for local swimming competitions and casual lap-swimmers alike.|Sandrine Boyer Engel/Deauville
The outdoor diving platform has long been one of Piscine Olympique’s most popular features.|Paul POUGNET/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images
Swim caps—or bonnets de bain—are a must if you’re planning to take a dip in Deauville.|Sandrine Boyer/Deauville
There’s plenty to do and see in Normandy—but a simple swim inside a beautiful building can provide necessary respite.|Hemis/Alamy
