• At the official inauguration, Lord Mayor Dr. Michael Ziemons was delighted to see a piece of "recreation and quality of life" return for the people of Aachen.
• The technical director of building management, architect Ricarda Bruns, describes the new main building as "a contemporary reinterpretation of the Hangeweiher outdoor pool".
• Precision landing: Thanks to the close cooperation of all municipal departments and partners involved, the new building was completed on time for May 1, 2026 - despite delays in the construction period.

The time has come: Aachen's Hangeweiher outdoor pool has a main building again. Gone are the two outdoor pool seasons in which showers, toilets, changing rooms as well as the storage rooms and common rooms for the staff were housed in temporary containers. Aachen's Lord Mayor, Dr. Michael Ziemons, sums up how the people of Aachen feel about "their" outdoor pool: "For many Aacheners, the Hangeweiher is a piece of home in the countryside - so it's all the nicer to be able to reopen it to everyone today in its new splendour. It not only brings back a piece of recreation and quality of life, but also space for sport, play and family time together."

With the new building and the cash desk area, which were officially opened today (Thursday, April 30) with invited guests and exclusively for annual pass holders, the third and final phase of the outdoor pool's redesign is complete, after the swimming pool technology and the pools in the first two construction phases. From tomorrow (Friday, May 1), all sun-seekers, swimming enthusiasts and swimming fans can once again enjoy the outdoor pool and, above all, the brand new building - also thanks to the outdoor pool team from the sports department, who have spent the last few weeks sprucing everything up and ensuring that the building, pools and outdoor facilities are ready for the season.

A seamless transition between nature and architecture
. And the building glistens—almost as if on cue—in the spring sunshine, surrounded by the stately trees that define the outdoor area of the Hangeweiher outdoor pool. The high-performance solar roof also makes the most of the sunny hours. “The building creates a seamless transition between nature and architecture, becoming a natural part of the landscape. From the green roof to the shimmering energy roof as a landmark, a striking interplay of space, material, and the future emerges—and with it, a contemporary reinterpretation of the Hangeweiher outdoor pool,” enthuses Dipl.-Ing. Architect Ricarda Bruns, Technical Operations Manager of the city’s building management department, in her welcome address. And to ensure this “magnificent structure” could be realized, thorough groundwork, precise processes, and seamless collaboration between the city’s departments and external partners were the most important prerequisites for the precise timing that will make an opening on May 1, 2026, possible.

This was certainly a mammoth task, as the planned time cushion was completely used up during the construction phases. In order to be able to keep the outdoor pool open during the construction period, a planning and construction decision was made in 2021 for an interim building for the 2024 season - when the old building has completely disappeared - as a separate project and planned by DWS Architekten from Aachen. The interim building was constructed in March and April 2024 from purchased, specially made containers. The container facility was positively received by bathers and the outdoor pool team, as it guaranteed that the outdoor pool could be visited. The containers, which belong to the city and could therefore be used at no additional cost, also saved the day for the 2025 outdoor pool season, as construction work was delayed here and there. The final phase of construction work on the new building after the end of the 2025 season was a logistical challenge for everyone involved: since mid-September, the old ticket office and containers have been dismantled in the entrance area of the outdoor pool and in the access road to the construction site. The ticket office was then removed and the fresh air changing rooms and energy roof were erected. Only after the scaffolding for the energy roof had disappeared at the end of March was it possible to continue with the work below. Thanks to the great commitment of the engineering offices and companies involved and not least thanks to the good weather in the final spurt, the outdoor pool was completed "just in time".

Two and a half years from demolition to the new building
: In 2023—following a planning phase with the engineering firms INCO from Aachen and Reuber from Düren for building services and permits—the implementation of the selected design by Kaiser Schweitzer Architekten from Aachen began with the removal of hazardous materials and the demolition of the old building. Over the course of three winter closure periods and two outdoor pool seasons, during which construction continued behind a construction fence, an outdoor pool building with 550 square meters of usable space has now been completed within the total budget of nearly 6.9 million euros, including approximately 1.5 million euros in grants. It houses a staff and storage area as well as the public restroom facilities. A large energy-efficient roof spans an additional 470 square meters, under which are located, on one side, the fresh-air changing area and, on the other, the entrance area with the new ticket booth. Around the building, Calles De Brabant Landscape Architects from Frechen ensured it blends seamlessly into the surroundings. Architect Florian Schweitzer at the symbolic key handover: “An outdoor pool should offer fun and refreshment. The architecture must also fit this purpose: inviting, light, and modern.”

The building in facts and figures

The public sanitary area

• Ladies' and men's area with ten showers each without coin-operated facilities
• Ten ladies' toilets
• Four men's toilets and six urinals
• A warm changing room for men and women and a "beauty mile" with mirror wall, hand dryers and connections for hairdryers brought along
• For people with physical disabilities, there is a barrier-free changing area with shower and WC, accessible with a Euro key, as well as a separate, barrier-free WC, accessible with a Euro key
• 50 lockers in the hallway, four of which are wheelchair accessible

Below the energy roof with the fresh air enclosures

• Another 240 lockers
• 16 helmet compartments
• 24 changing rooms
• three family changing rooms with changing table.

The oval ticket booth with its curved windows is the centerpiece of the entrance area. The service window features a low, wheelchair-accessible counter. Inside, there are 64 secure lockers that can only be accessed by ticket booth staff. Entry is available not only through the ticket booth but also via three turnstiles equipped with ticket scanners. Tickets are available not only at the ticket office and online (https://ticket-baeder.aachen.de/) but also at the two ticket vending machines that were already in place last year.

The energy roof itself consists of a steel structure on which a conservatory roof rests and 282 glass-glass photovoltaic modules, which are around 17 percent transparent and create interesting shadow effects.

Data on the new energy roof

• Area: 526.6 square meters
• Power: 84.43 kilowatt peak
• Balance sheet self-consumption share: 25 percent
• 75 percent feed-in to the municipal power grid
• Forecasted degree of self-sufficiency: 52 percent

For all information about the outdoor pool—including this season’s hours—visit www.aachen.de/schwimmen.

The project was funded by the federal program “Renovation of Municipal Facilities in the Areas of Sports, Youth, and Culture
.” The federal program “Renovation of Municipal Facilities in the Areas of Sports, Youth, and Culture” (SJK) supports cities and municipalities across Germany in maintaining their social infrastructure. It was first launched in 2015. By 2021, the federal government had provided a total of 1.54 billion euros.

Around 900 projects were selected for funding, a good 750 of which relate to sports facilities. The focus is on social interaction and climate protection. Funding is provided for investment measures - refurbishments and, in exceptional cases, replacement new builds - with particular regional and supra-regional significance and very high quality in terms of their energy impact and climate change adaptation performance. The projects are also of considerable importance for social cohesion and social integration in the municipality.

Since 2022, the program has been financed by the Climate and Transformation Fund and continued with a clearer focus on the energy-efficient refurbishment of the facilities to be funded.

The federal program "Renovation of municipal facilities in the areas of sport, youth and culture" (SJK) is the responsibility of the Federal Ministry of Housing, Urban Development and Construction.