Schwimmhalle Finckensteinallee

The Schwimmhalle Finckensteinallee stands in Berlin’s Lichterfelde district. Built in 1938 as a training pool for the SS regiment Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler, it was later used by the American military from 1945 until 1994. The building is protected as a listed monument, recognising its historical and architectural importance. After decades of military use and later neglect, it was restored between 2008 and 2014 and reopened to the public in 2014. Today it serves schools, clubs and sports events, including regular use by local swimming clubs. The pool’s design reflects its original purpose, with a 50-metre-long basin and a once-impressive 10-metre diving platform. The hall was conceived as a showpiece, featuring monumental statues at its entrances and a vast skylight above the water. During the Second World War the building suffered little damage, though later alterations by the Americans included replacing the glass roof with a solid lead cover. The restoration returned the central hall to its original appearance while updating technical systems and ensuring modern accessibility. Visitors enter through symmetrical portals into large changing areas and shower facilities before reaching the pool hall. The restored interior includes sgrafitto plasterwork and Trosselfels marble panels, with a colourful scheme guiding movement through the space. The 50-metre pool has ten lanes and retains starter’s podiums at each end. Signs from its American military period remain on the walls, and new elements like ramps and cubicles are designed to be clearly visible yet easily removed. The hall’s symmetry, spacious galleries and floor-to-ceiling windows create a sense of order and openness.