What future for the Tournesol swimming pool at Bois-du-Château in Lorient? [En images]

Is it more seventies than the Tournesol swimming pool? In Lorient, it is one of the witnesses of this era of daring design. Finally, looking closer, we see more of a gigantic thermal sieve. Part of the windows are protected by plywood, they no longer open, in short, the sunflower has lost its splendor. Like the Caudan duckling swimming pool, the Tournesol de Bois-du-Château (BDC) was built at the end of the 1970s as part of the 1,000 swimming pools program wanted by the government to teach the French how to swim. , after the fiasco at the 1968 Olympic Games. Almost 50 years later, it is still used in Lorient swimming, Lorient triathlon, freediving, and even for underwater shooting, for firefighters, for the SNSM. It also costs a lot (a lot) of money: €455,000 in 2023, without revenue, since it is not open to the public.

Renovation? Reconstruction? In Bois-du-Château?

We could invent the expression pool snake when we talk about BDC because its future has been fueling conversations for years. The associations using this swimming pool have begun to be surveyed and then a design office will have to study the possibilities. “We don’t want to go through this. Ideally, we would like to have something concrete at the end of the mandate,” hopes Fabien Audard, sports assistant. Renovation, reconstruction? In Bois-du-Château? Elsewhere ? “My will is that of the clubs, I am here to defend them, my vision is that, but on a personal level, a Nordic pool can be interesting. We do not have a 50 m pool in the territory. In Bois-du-Château, it makes sense, but perhaps the studies will show the opposite,” says Fabien Audard. In June 2024, Mayor Fabrice Loher assured that Lorient “needs a second swimming pool”. But should we preserve this 20th century heritage element? “From what I see, sunflower pool renovations are extremely expensive with relatively uncertain results. I think that we should not exclude, or even favor, the construction of a new establishment in the area of ​​Bois-du-Château,” said the elected official.

“When we see the size of Lorient, a 50 m pool, it’s not surprising”

Vincent Melois, Lorient swimming coach, does not need to think long: he would like “a 50 m pool, eight lanes, and Nordic, because it costs less and is more pleasant. This would multiply the pool surface area by four. There, there would be no more worries, everyone would be happy,” he dreams, although attached to this swimming pool which has had its day. “I like it, it’s historic, the children have their habits there, everything is accessible, it’s an endearing swimming pool, it’s our grandmother.” From there to regret the building from the 1970s? “No, not if we have a 50 m pool,” he smiles.

Are the obsolescence of the equipment and the absence of a 50 m pool an obstacle to the performance of the clubs? ” No. We are in the Top 5 Breton clubs. It’s not a hindrance but it’s limiting, the swimmers discover in competition what it’s like to make a real start but other clubs have the same conditions,” confides Vincent Melois.

Open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., the Bois-du-Château swimming pool is at maximum capacity. So for the associations, the question of its replacement appears obvious and then, “when we see the size of Lorient, a 50 m pool, it’s not surprising. Dinan has just signed a 50 m swimming pool and eight lanes. This would be an opportunity to have a real competition pool and thus develop a sport studies swimming course in Lorient, “which is the logical next step but for that you need a 50 m”. And by being greedy, the associations would even like to keep the Tournesol swimming pool, “which provides a good service”, in addition to new “equipment”. Response expected in less than two years.