Alster Swimming Pool in Hamburg Gets Calisthenics Training Station

(eap) Three years ago, extensive modernization work started on the Alster-Schwimmhalle Hamburg’s largest public swimming pool. We reported on the construction work, which is scheduled to be completed by the end of this year, in EAP issue 2/2022. The popular Hohenfelde pool will then reopen with a new swimming hall featuring six 25-meter lanes, a separate diving pool and an additional class pool for health and prevention programs. In total, the water area will grow from around 1,600 square meter to over 2,000 square meter. The existing fitness center in the dry area will be expanded to around 1,100 square meter of space for equipment training and a new range of classes.

Also, calisthenics enthusiasts will get their money’s worth here in the future. The North Rhine-Westphalian company Playparc has installed a calisthenics facility on the roof terrace of the Alster swimming hall. For this purpose, “point foundations” consisting of a steel construction were anchored on the roof, which provide the necessary stability and are so “lightweight” that even with the weight of the calisthenics facility added, the load-bearing capacity of the roof would not be exceeded, as project responsibles say. In addition to swimming and fitness facilities, there will also be a newly designed sauna area. The focus, however, will be on athletic health and fitness swimming. The new Alster swimming hall will be equipped for competitions, and grandstands can be temporarily installed as needed, depending on the type of competition.

“The Alster swimming pool is much more than a swimming pool – it is a Hamburg institution, a place where people meet, feel good, do sports and, last but not least, it is also an urban development highlight. I am very pleased that the Alster swimming pool will reopen its doors at the end of 2023 after a construction period of almost three years – and that construction work is progressing according to plan. The swimming and bathing facilities make a significant contribution to the quality of life in our city. Especially after the last few years of the pandemic, when swimming lessons had to be cancelled frequently, fresh capacity is good news. With an energy-efficient system control, green roofs, heat recovery and insulating glazing, the Alster swimming hall will also have a comparatively climate-friendly energy balance,” explained Jens Kerstan, Senator for the Environment and responsible for Bäderland Hamburg, operator of Alster-Schwimmhalle. ■