This wonderful old swimming pool has been converted into an art gallery. The concept of having a gallery in somewhere beautiful is not new, why destroy old buildings of cultural, historical and artistic appeal when they can be incorporated into the newer displays? A local friend of mine, who lived in Lilles as a child, told me of her surprise to find the swimming pool she used as a child converted into an art gallery.
The gallery comprises of two exhibitions, the temporary and the permanent collections. My big interest was in the swimming pool and so I only went to the permanent display. This comprises of sculpture mainly in stone or plaster, porcelain, artwork of various forms and a textile display.
The gallery is quite big and is displayed amongst the original rooms. The pool itself has been converted into the main display room. The old shower cubicles to rinse off before coming into the pool are still in tact just in front of the pool. The pool, itself, is lined on both sides by statues. From the end it seems to be a line of women on the left a line of men on the right. In the centre a strip of water has been kept. With the original windows (from the 1930s), high up, remaining the light shines through in a fantastically beguiling red and orange glow. It is very reminiscent of 40s / 50s style american glamour.
There is an incredibly detailed display upstairs (the old viewing galleries) of textiles. Roubaix was famous for its textile industry of which there is a fantastic map-like painting of the region upstairs. For my personal 
interest I felt there were too many of the fabric swathes but on the other hand, I suppose, acting in its role of museum of the Roubaix tradition this information should be preserved. There is also a fantastic display of clothing and fashion down through the ages and a tactile display of cloth and the differences between materials. Downstairs a small display has been hosted for local youth designers, showing that the Roubaix tradition is not dead.
The majority of the left wing downstairs consists of materials art, such as glass, clay etc. with a mixture of paintings thrown in. There is also a porcelain collection there too. The rear of the gallery comprises of sculptures while the right wing is mainly portraits. At the bottom of the swimming pool to the right lies the remainder and the majority of the paintings. Their is a fantastic mix of artwork well presented and laid out.
Many of the original features are still present, such as the shower cubicles and some of the hot bath rooms. A fantastic room to look out for is the shop and the original boiler still in the background, no longer accessible but still visible. The shop itself is very well stocked and has some very interesting books on art, even for the non-art disciple (such as myself.) It is a pay-in museum and some of the most interesting and well presented art in the original layout is not accessible by wheelchair. Having said that the remainder of the museum is wheelchair accessible and also sports a magnetic hearing aid.
All in all it is well worth a visit, to see great art in such a fantastic, local and cultural environment is astounding; let alone the depth and increase in beauty it lends the works itself. :-)
| Address | 23 rue de l'Espérance, 59100 Roubaix, France |
| Website | http://www.roubaix-lapiscine.com/index.php |
| Telephone | (0)(0033) 320692360 |
| Cost | Permanent Collection:
> full fare: 4, 50 € / reduced fare: 3, 50 €
Temporary Exhibition:
> full fare: 4,50 € / reduced fare: 3, 50 € Check here for reductions or free fares |
| Opening | Tuesday to Thursday 11:00 am – 6:00 pm,
Friday 11:00 am – 8:00 pm,
Saturday & Sunday 1:00 pm – 6:00 pm |
| Public Transport | By train: Roubaix Train Station
By subway : Line 2, "Grand'Place or "Gare/Jean-Lebas" station.
By bus : line 25, stop at «Musée Art et Industrie" or "Gare/Jean-Lebas". |
