Forest Pool Liberec: Community Revival by Mjölk Architekti

Q: What does it mean to you to restore a place with deep local history, rather than building something entirely new?

A: To restore or save an old building means capturing a fragment of our shared history  a kind of quality that can never truly be rebuilt. The historical context of a structure and its surroundings often becomes our strongest source of inspiration, especially in places where the past still speaks through the atmosphere.

Q: This project grew step by step, with volunteers, limited funds, and strong community support. What did this experience show you about the responsibility of architecture toward the public?

A: Architecture carries a responsibility to nurture people and to teach them what beauty, cooperation, and care mean. It’s about showing what it feels like to belong to a shared space, to be part of something that serves the public good.

Q: Which qualities of the forest pool’s atmosphere or spirit did you want to preserve, even while transforming the site with new architecture?

A: We wanted to preserve the old soul of the place — that romantic feeling of wind moving through the trees, reflected in the still surface of the stone pool — all within a setting shaped by modern, yet humble architecture that doesn’t seek attention, but harmony.

Architecture carries a responsibility to nurture people and to teach them what beauty, cooperation, and care mean.

At the confluence of two forest streams near Lidové sady lies Lesní koupaliště—Liberec’s Forest Swimming Pool, a beloved local gem with icy water and a century-old bathing tradition. When our association took over its management, we started with no funding, only enthusiasm. Volunteers repaired the refreshment stand, built makeshift furniture, and painted the now-iconic white kiosk with a heart on its roof. Gradually, we designed a new facilities building and secured funding from participatory budgeting, private donors, and finally a one-time city contribution. Construction began in 2022, and by spring 2025, the new building—with showers, toilets, sauna, and bistro—will open fully, giving Liberec’s residents a rare place to swim in nature.

The building’s architecture reflects civic initiative rather than public luxury. Designed for easy, low-cost construction, it combines CLT panels and timber framing, sheltered by a steel roof that serves as both umbrella and parasol. The modest structure offers everything visitors need—functional, warm, and open to the forest.

The site’s history dates back before World War II, when the “Waldbad in Ruppersdorf” association built the first pool between 1937 and 1940. After wartime use and postwar expansion, the area thrived until neglect, closure in 2007, and a fire in 2010 left only ruins. Revitalization began in 2016, and the pool reopened in 2018. Since 2020, our association Lesní koupaliště z. s. has continued its renewal—adding a sauna, planning a children’s pool, seating, and sports areas.

Community spirit remains the heart of Lesní koupaliště—from volunteers rebuilding after floods to the annual mass jump led by the city’s mayor, symbolizing shared care for this remarkable public space.