LThe Blocry swimming pool was officially inaugurated on Wednesday morning in Louvain-la-Neuve in the presence of representatives of the City of Ottignies-Louvain-la-Neuve, UCLouvain and the Wallonia-Brussels Federation. All three are co-owners of this new modular infrastructure, of Olympic dimensions and built with energy efficiency in mind. This is an investment of 20 million euros made on land made available by the University of Leuven.
The project, launched in 2018, integrated from the outset criteria of soft mobility, accessibility for all audiences and energy exemplarity. The initiators are talking about an “eco-pool” with 790 photovoltaic panels on the roof, heat pumps, rainwater recycling, etc. More than 60% of energy needs will be covered by renewables, and the reduction in CO2 emissions is 45% compared to a traditional swimming pool. The use of chlorine is also limited. Mobility has been redesigned to protect the Blocry district and a cycle-pedestrian link has been integrated into the project.
The new Olympic-sized pool is 50 m by 25 m, representing 67% more swimming surface area than the current pools in Louvain-la-Neuve. Movable floors and a movable wall make it possible to divide the pool into two, three or four sections with different depths.
The infrastructure is intended for the general public, clubs, high-level athletes who already benefit from a specific offer at Blocry (indoor athletics, dojo, etc.), school groups and even physical education students at UCLouvain.
The funding was divided between partners: 5.8 million euros from the Region, 2 million from the Province of Walloon Brabant, 4 million from the city of Ottignies-LLN, 4 million from the Wallonia-Brussels Federation and 4 million from UCLouvain.
Present for the occasion, Jacqueline Galant, Minister of Sports and Sports Infrastructure in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, spoke of an “exemplary partnership” between levels of power and external operators.
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