About the site
Bathing, water sports, and swimming became an important part of urban daily life and hygiene routines from the 19th century onwards. Most townspeople relied on public baths, as private bathrooms only developed as separate domestic facilities in the second half of the 19th century and remained primarily a feature of middle- and upper-class homes until the mid-20th century.
Opava established a men’s bathing place on the mill race in 1875. By the end of the 19th century, this had been replaced by a dedicated bathing facility on Rybářská Street, which remained in use until the construction of the modern municipal outdoor swimming pool. In 1929, the city announced an international architectural competition for the design of an outdoor bathing complex on the municipal mill race beside the city park, designed to accommodate 3,000 people. The project was intended to reinforce Opava’s reputation as a residential city with modern recreational, sporting and hygienic amenities.
First prize went to Opava architect Otto Reichner for his design submitted under the motto “Für Heute und Morgen” (“For Today and Tomorrow”). Second prize was awarded to Dresden architect Hans Vassak, third to Vienna-based architect Jacques Groag (originally from Olomouc), and an honourable mention to Paul Engelmann, also Olomouc-born and a pupil of Adolf Loos. Reichner’s project was praised for its combination of the restraint of Neue Sachlichkeit (New Objectivity) with the formal vocabulary of decorativism and the emotive power of expressionism, meeting the expectations of both jury and city authorities. The overall composition adopted a symmetrical arrangement in the spirit of modern classicism. In the main building, this was expressed through balanced massing, while decorative emphasis was achieved through exposed-brick pilasters, profiled cornices, and trellises at the upper levels. These linear elements defined restrained wall surfaces finished in břízolit (roughcast render), or served to break the silhouette of the building. The nautical aesthetic of metal railings and fittings evoked harbours and modern ocean liners, enriching the poetic atmosphere of the baths. Reichner expanded this “world of water” with balconies, tubular railings, and reinforced-concrete frames to the second floor, where a terrace with individual rentable rooms was located.
Reichner later employed similar architectural features in his design for the Kamélie Restaurant in Žilina, using analogous reinforced-concrete and tubular railing motifs to create a summer restaurant pavilion in a park setting.
The main building of the Opava pool complex contains ground-floor retail units and simply designed changing rooms with benches and wooden lockers. The first floor houses a café with restored decorative wall painting and replica tubular furniture, in a light-filled space facing the 100-metre by a 25-metre pool with diving platforms. The roof was originally intended for sunbathing, with areas reserved for nudists, and also included the rentable rooms.
The grand opening took place on Sunday 28 June 1931, when enthusiastic swimmers could first enjoy this modern sports facility and admire the striking architecture and layout of water areas: a 50-metre swimming pool, an adjacent pool for non-swimmers, and an oval paddling pool for children. The latter was adorned with an expressive statue of a water sprite made of Supíkovice marble by the Silesian sculptor Josef Obeth. The original concept had been more ambitious, with plans for tennis courts with a clubhouse and a dance floor, but the economic crisis put stop to these plans. Over the following decades, the pool complex underwent various utilitarian alterations, including the demolition of the music pavilion. Only the heritage restoration of 2006–2007, led by Slezská projektová společnost, a.s., and architect Petr Šmarda, restored much of the original spirit while modernizing the technical facilities. A replica of the demolished music pavilion was built between the pools and the entrance building, though the diving platform is no longer in use.
In mid-September 2024, the pool complex was damaged by severe flooding that affected much of Silesia, including Opava. The main pavilion, its interior fittings, and the technical plant were all affected. Repairs are currently under way, but despite the damage, the pool has been open to the public since May 2025, with works continuing through the season in order to complete restoration by the end of the year.
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