De Papiermolen

About this architecture.

The Papiermolen was one of the first modern outdoor swimming pools in the Netherlands and is the only outdoor swimming pool that is a protected national monument. The name of the pool is a reference to the 18th-century paper mill that once stood on this site and the surrounding hamlet.

Although it cannot be seen from the outside, this pool, which dates back to 1955, has a special design. Architect Jack. Koolhaas (1913-2010) was inspired by the environment – ​​the historical defense work Helperlinie is reflected in the design of the baths – but also by swimming pools in Switzerland and the Olympic Swimming Stadium in Helsinki. He folded the five basins, as it were, around an island that can be reached via concrete arch bridges and passages. The lifeguard station is located on the 'island'. In addition to a main building with changing rooms, it was given a playing and sunbathing area and a grandstand with 900 seats. The original mural by architect Jaap Wilhelm (1911-1971) of the sixty-metre-long stand was restored in 2019 during a major renovation of the bath.

Koolhaas already took the construction of the southern ring road into account in the design. The main building also functioned as a barrier between the recreational public and traffic. From the pool, the distinctive ramps at the main building (known as a 'snail house') can be seen, which connect the changing rooms to the basins via a wading gutter. In the 1990s, these were moved to new changing facilities in the middle of the 'island'. The main building now offers space for offices and workshops.

Facts & Figures.

• District
  Helpman

• Art type
  Monument