Tournesol swimming pool tile, Bernard Schoeller, (early 1970s)

*HVDVK private area. Visible only during temporary exhibitions, guided tours or by appointment.

The Tournesol swimming pool is the result of a national programme to build industrial swimming pools, launched in the early 1970s. Some 183 pools of this type were built in France in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

It was designed by architect Bernard Schoeller, who at the time belonged to the Arsène-Henry practice, assisted by engineer Thémis Constantinidis for the structure and Matra for the materials. With a diameter of 35 metres, the pool is made up of a polyester shell with portholes, half of which are movable, allowing the pool to open 120 degrees to the open air.
25-metre pool.

The tile for this hull shown here comes from the Julien Recours architectural collection..