Introductory course
Piscine Ranson
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This swimming pool is an architectural testament to the 1960s. With the post-war reconstruction completed, it was time to create new infrastructure, particularly for sports. In Calais, a swimming pool appeared, named after Emile Ranson, the soul of local swimming. Its innovative architecture for the
The swimming pool was inaugurated in September 1963 by the Minister of Sports, a national celebrity at the time: mountaineer Maurice Herzog had led the 1950 French expedition, the first to climb Annapurna, a giant of the Himalayas.
The architecture of the Émile Ranson swimming pool in Calais is innovative for several reasons. Its concrete shell roof, innovative at the time, created open spaces without pillars. The brightness, optimized with the use of bay windows and the unique shape of the roof, created a pleasant atmosphere. The Émile Ranson swimming pool is an illustration of the desired advances in sports facilities at the time, incorporating structural and aesthetic innovations.
It was in 1959 that Mayor Jacques Vendroux launched the initiative to build a swimming pool in Calais. The work was entrusted to two locally renowned architects, Jean Soupey and Roger Poyé. Construction began in 2, but the project was halted following a collapse in 1960.
Who was Emile Ranson (1880-1952)? A combatant from 1914-1918, this employee of the lace industry later created a hosiery business in 1946. At the same time, he was involved in numerous social, political, and community activities. Teaching swimming was a driving force in his life. In 1923, he created the Calais Swimming and Lifesaving School. Today, under the name Calais Natation, it is a sports institution in Calais. From 1935, when he joined the municipal council, he campaigned for the creation of an indoor swimming pool. In the meantime, swimming competitions and lessons took place in the Quai de l'Escaut canal, opposite the current swimming pool. Two metal pools were also dedicated to learning at the site of the pool. It was not until 1963 that Calais had an indoor swimming pool, which unfortunately Emile Ranson, who died in 1952, would not see.
The architecture of the Émile Ranson swimming pool in Calais is innovative for several reasons. Its concrete shell roof, innovative at the time, created open spaces without pillars. The brightness, optimized with the use of bay windows and the unique shape of the roof, created a pleasant atmosphere. The Émile Ranson swimming pool is an illustration of the desired advances in sports facilities at the time, incorporating structural and aesthetic innovations.
It was in 1959 that Mayor Jacques Vendroux launched the initiative to build a swimming pool in Calais. The work was entrusted to two locally renowned architects, Jean Soupey and Roger Poyé. Construction began in 2, but the project was halted following a collapse in 1960.
Who was Emile Ranson (1880-1952)? A combatant from 1914-1918, this employee of the lace industry later created a hosiery business in 1946. At the same time, he was involved in numerous social, political, and community activities. Teaching swimming was a driving force in his life. In 1923, he created the Calais Swimming and Lifesaving School. Today, under the name Calais Natation, it is a sports institution in Calais. From 1935, when he joined the municipal council, he campaigned for the creation of an indoor swimming pool. In the meantime, swimming competitions and lessons took place in the Quai de l'Escaut canal, opposite the current swimming pool. Two metal pools were also dedicated to learning at the site of the pool. It was not until 1963 that Calais had an indoor swimming pool, which unfortunately Emile Ranson, who died in 1952, would not see.
Place Georges Maréchal - 62100 CALAIS
Services
Equipment
- Pool
Nearby activities
- Indoor pool
