Nowadays, swimming is the only activity at the Helper Swimming Pool. However, it was originally also used as a bathhouse, sunbathing area, and heating plant. Ella Boelens is an architectural historian who conducted research into the history of this iconic building on behalf of the municipality.

Design

“The building was designed by architect M.G. Eelkema. Together with manufacturer J.E. van Hasselt and council member F.R.M. Th. Gouverne, he established the N.V. Helper Swimming Pool and Heating Plant in 1924. It was built with the aim of promoting public health and encouraging sports development. You could swim there, and people who did not have the luxury of their own bathroom could also come to the Helper Pool. “For a small fee, they could take a shower or a bathtub here.”

Heating Plant

But the pool also served, quite innovatively, as a heating plant. “Pipes were laid to about 120 houses near the pool. The heated pool water flowed through them. In the houses, there was a boiler to further heat the water. Once residents had used the water, it flowed back through other pipes to the pool, where it was filtered and reused. One of the first forms of district heating, indeed.”

Côte d’Azur of the North

Ten years after the opening, there was another unique expansion of the pool: the Helper Sun Bath with a beach, designed by H.B. Bulder. “In the past, sunbathing was still considered healthy. Therefore, the Helper Pool offered sun subscriptions in addition to swimming and bathing. The outdoor area was on the side where there is now a playground. That spot was so popular that it earned the nickname ‘Côte d’Azur of the North.’”

Celebration

The 100th anniversary of the Helper Swimming Pool will of course be celebrated. On September 5, the pool will be reopened in a playful manner. For 10 days, there will be various activities in the pool. On September 14, the activities will conclude with HelperSwim, a 24-hour swimming event for the BEA foundation. Check for HelperSwim on the website of sport050.nl. The rest of the program will be announced there soon.

Instruction Pool

In 1956, the municipality took over the Helper Pool along with the Noorderbad. In 1972, the left side wall was removed and a second pool was added: the instruction pool. “Due to the introduction of the free Saturday and rising wages, the demand for swimming pools grew. Therefore, the instruction pool was built, designed in a sober and functional style. The difference between the pools is significant; you can clearly see that they were built in different periods. Both pools have their charm, in my opinion,” says Ella.

Renovation 1974

Two years after the construction of the instruction pool, the original pool was renovated. “During that first renovation in 1974, many iconic elements were removed. The cascade, a waterfall, which stood at the edge of the pool, for example. The pool was shortened, so the waterfall had to go. There was a statue of a boy on a fish and two pelicans, which are still there. Water spouted from the fish's mouth. After the statue of the boy on the fish was removed, it stood for years in a private garden, and eventually ended up in the bulky waste.”

Tiles from the Czech Republic

Fortunately, many elements have also been preserved. “In the entrance hall hangs a beautiful tableau with a water spout, depicting a scene from classical antiquity. Those water spouts and the floor and wall tiles were all made in the Czech tile factory RAKO. Six craftsmen came from the Czech Republic specifically for the tiling. Each of those tiles has a water theme.”

Renovation 2009

Ella: “During the first renovation, many tiles with the water theme from the floor and walls were removed and replaced with white tiles. For the second renovation in 2009, the original tiles with the water theme were recreated. This time, among others, by the Royal tile factory Makkum. Some tiles that are now on the wall and on the floor are replicas. This way, the original style of the pool has been restored.”

Wall tiles on the landing above the Old Pool

Service Apartments

On the third and fourth floors, there were two service apartments for the director and the pool manager. “Those spaces are now used as offices. Just like many other spaces that have now taken on different functions, or are simply no longer used, such as the cubicles where people could take a shower or a bathtub. The history is still visible throughout the building. This is a pool from before World War II, and the oldest pool in the city still in use. We should be proud of it here in Groningen.”

Monument

Ella's report is part of a study into the Helper Swimming Pool. That study will determine whether the pool can receive a monumental status. Based on Ella's work, a reasoned description is being prepared. This description is used by the Commission for Spatial Quality to provide advice to the college, which ultimately decides whether or not to grant the pool monumental status.