Indoor pool in Bad Godesberg This is what the new Kurfürstenbad will look like
Bad Godesberg · The old indoor pool called the Kurfürstenbad in Bad Godesberg has been sitting empty for some years now. According to the city, there are now concrete plans for a new swimming facility there. On Wednesday, Mayor Katja Dörner presented all the plans for the new building.
It was a little more than seven years ago when the city announced that the Kurfürstenbad had to be closed for good. Around two years into those seven years, an alternative was created by putting an inflatable covering over the outdoor pool in Friesdorf. But this was never a 100 per cent replacement.
One can say it has been a long and bumpy road to a new building. But now a milestone seems to have been reached: the preliminary planning for a new Kurfürstenbad has been completed. On Wednesday, the city showed what it will look like, explained the concept for energy use, talked about when it might open, what will happen to the Paul Magar mosaic art inside and how much it will cost.
- Renewable energies: In recent weeks, the city administration reviewed the previous energy plan for the new indoor swimming pool. While the original plan called for a gas block heating plant, a fourth air-water heat pump will now be installed, according to Mayor Katja Dörner. As well, the roof will be covered with green plants and equipped with a photovoltaic system that will cover 30 per cent of the electricity demand. The rest will be supplied by the Stadtwerke Bonn - with certified green electricity. This will make it possible to run the pools exclusively on renewable energy. In this way, the city is contributing to the goal of climate neutrality in Bonn by 2035.
"With this plan, the Kurfüstenbad is one of the first pools that does not use fossil fuels," commented Dörner. Even if the revision of the planning "has meant a slight delay in the process, in the long run it is a big win for the city and the people".
- The pools: The old pool had a total water surface of about 313 square meters, the new one has around 560. This allows for a variety of pools at the swimming facility. Besides a 25-meter swimmer's pool with one- and three-meter boards (330 square meters of water surface), there will be a multifunctional pool with a raised floor (80 square meters), a teaching pool (125 square meters) and a children's pool (25 square meters). There will also be a sauna area of around 330 square meters which will include a room for relaxing and an outdoor area. "The schools have a great need for swimming lessons, and especially for that, small water areas are very important," explained Sports and Swimming Office Manager Stefan Günther.
- The art mosaic: The Paul Magar mosaic that used to hang in the old swimming hall will also be prominently displayed in the new one - in the foyer, directly opposite the entrance. "Anyone who enters will immediately see the mosaic," said project manager Wolfgang Ziegert. Until then, it has to be stored professionally. It means that the work of art will be cut into two pieces weighing around eight tons, brought out over the roof and transported to a temporary storage place.
- The timetable: The city wants to bring on board a total contractor (TU) who will take over the planning and construction management. This contractor must be found through a Europe-wide call for tenders. If the local politicians approve of the plans, the starting date will be October 1, and the contractor is to be chosen and commissioned by the end of December at the latest. Then a year of planning is on the agenda - for design, permits and other preliminary work. The actual construction is to start on January 1 of 2026, and the new Kurfürstenbad should be ready by June 30 of 2027. The demolition of the old building is planned for some time starting at the beginning of next year. According to Ziegert, they will need the time until then to prepare for the demolition.
- The costs: In May, the city estimated the costs for the entire project would be 32.9 million euros. As of now, the new building is expected to cost around 42 million euros. One reason for this is the new energy and technology concept, which will cost an extra 300,000 euros, says Günther. "In addition, we expect further construction price increases of up to five per cent per year." Add to that, one has to plan for a surcharge for the total contractor of about 15 per cent, he said. According to Günther, there are no issues when it comes to the financing of the project: the amount needed for the new building” can be financed from the existing budget appropriations.”
- The next steps: The sports committee will discuss the city's proposal in its meeting on August 31, the final decision is in the hands of the district council. They will meet on September 6. If the local politicians agree, the city can move forward with the project.
(Orig. text: Ayla Jacob; Translation: ck)
