A five-year, €40 million construction project wrapped up in December, leaving Dresden, Germany with two 50-meter pools at Freiberger Platz.
The facility, now one of the top few aquatic centers in all of Germany, opened in December, according to MDR. The aquatic center previously had one Olympic-sized pool that was renovated, but a second 50-meter pool was added during the construction. MDR reports that the facility also includes an instructional pool, a diving hall, and a sauna.
The project was delayed by around a year, Radio Dresden reports, in part because the load-bearing capacity of the roof on the old pool had to be improved.
Freiberger Platz now stands along with Berlin’s SSE (Swchwimm-und Sprunghalle) as two of the crown jewel pools of the European nation. The Berlin facility also has two 50-meter pools and plenty of spectator seating. Berlin typically hosts a stop of the FINA World Cup series and has also hosted the European Championships. The Dresden pool should now also have the capability of hosting major international competitions in the same vein.
Elsewhere in Germany, a three-year renovation has wrapped up on the 1972 Olympic aquatic facility in Munich. That facility includes one 50-meter pool, and also has a padded play area for children, according to Muenchen.de.
