The Amalienbad swimming pool in Vienna was built at a time when most homes did not have private bathrooms and showers were a rarity. Shortly after the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Vienna City Council launched a programme to build public swimming pools across the city. Amalienbad was built in the most industrialised district, furthest from the city centre, which came as a surprise to the local working class. Despite the facility’s utilitarian nature, the architects opted for stunning Art Deco ornamentation.
Red Vienna
For Austria, 1919 marked a moment of epoch-making change. The great Habsburg monarchy had collapsed, and the country’s strong international standing lay in ruins. Before the war, Emperor Franz Joseph I was widely respected, and buildings, squares and roads across the country were erected in his honour. However, in the new republican reality, it was the workers who became the focus of attention for Vienna’s Social Democratic authorities. One of the first measures taken by the new city council was a plan to build public swimming pools in every district. What is more, it was during the Social Democrats’ time in power that Vienna’s famous council blocks were built, including the world’s longest block – the Karl Marx Hof.
The swimming pool in Vienna’s 10th district – Favoriten – was of particular significance. For decades, the district had been regarded as the worst part of the city, where large working-class families were crammed into cramped, dark flats. The city was horribly overcrowded, and tuberculosis was called the ‘Viennese disease’ for good reason. Sanitary conditions in Favoriten and many other districts of the city were appalling and led to frequent epidemics.
Construction of the Amalienbad began in 1923, based on a design by Karl Schmalhofer and Otto Nadel. Schmalhofer himself came from a poor family, which meant he was unable to go to university straight after secondary school. The architect earned extra money working as a draughtsman in the well-known studio of the Austrian Hans Miksch and the Pole Julian Niedzielski. After years of study and professional experience, Schmalhofer joined the board of the Vienna Building Authority and took charge of the construction of council housing estates.
Two years after construction began, Vienna’s first Social Democratic mayor, Jakob Reumann, died. A year earlier, Amalie Pölzer, a councillor from Favoriten, had also passed away. For this reason, the swimming pool is named the Amalienbad, and the square on which it stands is called Reumannplatz. The reasons for this naming were described in the local press as a symbolic transition from the Habsburg monarchy to the new social-democratic reality.
Modernity
The massive modernist building, with its clock tower, rises to a height of 36 metres. It is worth noting the way in which the architects played with form. The building’s various sections protrude and recede, yet still form a symmetrical façade. Feminine sculptures by Karl Stemolak are situated between the rounded bay windows. Interestingly, right up until the Second World War, the artist was a member of the Hagenbund, a group that rivalled the Viennese Secessionists. Members of the group focused on a more avant-garde, sometimes Cubist, depiction of the hardships of everyday life.
Upon entering, one is struck by the stunning Art Deco mosaics and patterns. The geometric ornamentation emphasised the modernist aesthetic of the building, which was immediately hailed as the largest and most modern swimming pool in this part of Europe. The mosaics cover the walls, floors and even the skylights, through which a soft, subdued light filters in.
The decorations in the main swimming hall are considerably more modest, but its structure is impressive. The huge reinforced concrete roof structure immediately catches the eye. The 33.5-metre-long pool is lit by massive skylights. The facility was designed to accommodate as many as 1,300 people. Interestingly, before the Second World War, the roof had a slightly different design and could be opened. However, the most interesting decorative features are found in the men’s and women’s sauna rooms.
The men’s sauna was lined with multicoloured glazed tiles. The same is true of the women’s sauna, although there the columns are adorned with plant motifs. The ceramic decorations form geometric Art Deco patterns. Richly decorated skylights were also a key feature.
The building suffered damage during the Second World War, but its robust reinforced concrete structure withstood even the heaviest bombardments. After the war, the building was rebuilt with some alterations, and a major refurbishment was carried out in the 1980s. The Amalienbad continues to serve the residents of the Favoriten district to this day and is Vienna’s most beautiful swimming pool.
Source: Stadt Wien
Read: Architecture | Interesting facts | Swimming pool | Vienna | Austria | Art Deco | whiteMAD on Instagram
