Pentagonal cube clad with frosted glass

Frederiksberg’s first swimming pool is a stunning Functionalist building erected in 1934. However, the facilities have often been subjected to excessive pressure due to the municipality’s large increase in new citizens. It was therefore a welcome relief when the new Flintholm Swimming Pool was officially opened in 2017.

The new swimming and multi-purpose hall is located on Bernhard Bangs Allé, between Lindevang and Flintholm metro stations. It stands as a luminous cube in a very urban setting, surrounded by a park. The façades are clad in frosted glass to ensure that neighbours are not disturbed by visual glare. In some places, the glass is pushed in, generating an interesting, almost random pattern that creates a vibrant look.

The building itself appears compact, partly due to the fact that two of its six storeys are below ground. The entrance is at street level, where there is also a café with ticket sales. Through large glass windows in the foyer, there are views of the swimming pool itself, which is quite literally underground.

Activities for all

In the casual atmosphere of the foyer, visitors can enjoy a caffè latte, a sandwich or an ice cream. The ceiling features black Troldtekt acoustic panels with a fine wood wool structure. They serve to unite the space, making the atmosphere more intimate than is otherwise customary in sports centres in Denmark.

The large swimming pool itself is one large space where the 25-metre pool occupies the largest area, while a huge winding water slide dominates the opposite end. The atmosphere is slightly cavernous, with a clear sense that the pool is located below ground. For sound absorbing there is Troldtekt in the colour natural wood on the ceiling surfaces, and the walls feature supplementary squares with Troldtekt panels in the colour natural grey on the unwrought concrete elements. On the ceiling, long yellow ventilation ducts provide a cheery dash of colour.

In an adjacent section is the family area, where there is a fun pool, two water slides and a kiddie pool. There is also an elongated pool bordering a glass wall that spans the length of the room. Daylight pours in and plays an active role in how the space is experienced. Water is regularly added in thick streams from a series of gleaming spouts, and the pool is tempting to jump into. Here, too, Troldtekt acoustic panels in the colour natural wood forms the ceiling and absorbs noise.

The wellness area is well-furnished and welcoming, just like the other parts of the centre. In the upper floors of the building there are gyms and club rooms as well as offices for Hovedstadens Svømmeklub (Capital Region Swimming Club) and Hermes Gymnastikforening (Hermes Gymnastics Association).