Brussels’ only outdoor pool to close after 5 years
Brussels’ only open-air swimming pool is closing after five years. Flow, in Anderlecht, was intended as a prototype to show demand for outdoor swimming in the capital, and the organisers say they will continue to campaign for a permanent pool in the city.
The pool was built by the non-profit Pool is Cool. It offered open swim sessions, swimming lessons, aqua aerobics, yoga and cultural events during the summer months. At the end of 2023, it began opening in the winter for fans of cold swimming. A sauna opened on the site last year.
“This decision was not made lightly,” said Paul Steinbrück, the head of Pool is Cool. “After five years of testing, learning, adapting and proving what outdoor swimming can mean for Brussels, we believe it’s time to close this chapter.”
“This isn’t just the end of a pool – it’s the end of a place that brought joy, connection and refreshment to thousands. With Flow gone, Brussels will have no public space left for outdoor swimming. That absence should make waves.”
Stepping stone
Built during the Covid-19 crisis amid rising material prices, the project was realised using simple, low-cost materials – especially wood – where reusable material was not available. These materials were not expected to last long-term and the site’s structure would require thorough renovation to remain safe and functional.
“It is the responsibility of public authorities to provide decent, accessible and sufficient outdoor swimming places,” Steinbrück said.
“We’ve always been willing to support them in this – by sharing experience, by prototyping, by advocating. But we never set out to become long-term pool operators. Flow was never meant to be a solution, only a stepping stone. With its closure, that illusion must end.”
In recent years, four outdoor swimming projects have been discussed but none have come close to realisation: Neerpede, Becobad, Abattoir and Uccle.
"Flow is not the solution. It should never have been treated like one"
“Flow has shown the way forward: it has proven that a well-designed, inclusive and sustainable public outdoor pool in Brussels is not only possible but urgently needed,” said Steinbrück. “It is to our great disappointment that the Brussels political system and its key actors have failed to take the necessary next step.”
With the ongoing political standstill in Brussels nine months after the regional elections, securing public funding to sustain the pool’s operations has become nearly impossible.
Winter programme
The site will close by the end of May. Until then, the winter programme continues with cold water swimming and sauna sessions.
Steinbrücke: “With Flow gone, we hope the gap becomes too visible to ignore – and that authorities, communities and politicians feel the pressure to act. Flow is not the solution. It should never have been treated like one.”
Supporters can fill in a survey to share their memories of the pool and help the Pool is Cool campaign.
© PHOTO SALLY TIPPER
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