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The most beautiful public swimming pools in Milano
Swim through stunning 20th Century architecture
Milano, historically a city rich in water - but with no sea or lakes of its own - boasts a centuries-old tradition in the accurate and avant-garde planning and construction of public swimming pools for leisure and sports. The pools also allow the Milanese to refresh during the famously hot summers.
The first public swimming pool facility dates back to 1842: this was Bagni di Diana, a luxurious venue in the Porta Venezia area but no longer existing today: only the name of the hotel now standing there reminds us of the old pool.
Over the decades the venues have changed, following the history of the city, but many remain in business today, preserving the great architectural value of the original structures.
Here we listed the must-see / must-splash public swimming pools in Milano:
In 1929 the Giulio Romano swimming pool opened at 20, Via Andrea Maria Ampère.
At the time, it was the largest outdoor swimming pool in Europe, an authentic architectural jewel, inspired by by the style of Palladio.
It featured an absolute technical innovation in water treatment as the pool was fed by the aquifer: until then water from the canals had been used.
From its opening, it was able to accommodate up to 1500 bathers.
Inaugurated in 1939, it is a true Art Nouveau jewel.
In the original project, the swimming pool was an integral part of a multi-function space for sport and leisure, which included a theatre (now the Teatro Parenti).
The restoration was carried out with the utmost respect for the original structures, by the re-creation of the original materials and period details - and was accompanied by innovative interventions respectful of the original spirit of the pool itself, such as a floating stage and a colonnade.
The new water heating and purification system, with UV lamps, is cutting-edge.
This huge building was completed in just 194 days and inaugurated in 1934, in the Porta Venezia district. It was the first indoor public swimming pool in Milano and in Italy.
At the time, it was considered the most advanced swimming pool in Europe and the most suitable for hosting swimming competitions, with huge terraces accommodating a large audience.
It is provided with two beautiful 5m and 10m trampolines.
For the time, la Cozzi had very innovative technical features: the great spans that allow for a large space without interruptions, the windowed roofs and their transparent inserts, which let light filter from above.
It was also one of the first swimming pools where heating, ventilation and water purification were meticulously taken care of.
The architectural rigour of the building, in keeping with the historical period of its construction, is softened by details and mosaics that develop the theme of water. These traits contrast with the structure’s monumentality, and open it up to civilian and daily use.
Opened in 1963, it is a small architectural jewel, restored in 2015 with important modernizations concerning not only the changing rooms but the enlarged pool as well.
It is located within Don Giussani park, next to Bocconi University, and it is a neighbourhood swimming pool, designed for all-year-round recreational swimming.
The roof is a tensile structure with a characteristic saddle shape, which is not only functional but provides the stylistic code of the building as well.
The sloping windows that open onto the park make spending time there very enjoyable: thanks to the glass walls, the vegetation seems to enter, and creates a pleasant protective shield from the surrounding urban environment. During the summer, many bathers use the large outdoor solarium as well.
