This is the Kopališče Kolezija, the oldest swimming pool facility in Ljubljana, Slovenia’s capital. Located southwest of the city center, a public pool has been in this area since at least 1879. It probably hasn’t always been this colorful, making it a fitting inauguration for a new and occasional urban exploration photo series.
[Update 16 May 2014: The pool and entire facility is no more. I rode by earlier today and watched it all being bulldozed, leaving me very glad that I made these photos when I did. For posterity’s sake a few pics of the destruction are at the end of the post.]
The facility underwent several upgrades and renovations, both before and after the second world war, through the early 1970s. An ownership dispute forced its closure in 2000. In 2009 the City of Ljubljana solicited bids from architects for another overhaul. A winning bid was selected but nothing has progressed since, leaving the facilty a popular hangout for skaters, graffiti artists, drunks and the occasional junkie.
20 More photos below and a detailed history is here from a Radio Slovenia program transcript (Slovene only). These were all taken with my mobile phone, a Samsung Galaxy S3; one day I’ll return with my DSLR.
Update 16 May 2014 – I briefly watched the entire facility being bulldozed today. Here are a few shots of the bulldozers in action.
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