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Volksbühne Opens Volksbad Pop‑Up Pool

The 25‑metre temporary pool offers free, bookable public swimming while calling attention to the city’s strained municipal pool infrastructure.

Overview

  • The installation is the first public project of new intendant Matthias Lilienthal and was placed directly in front of the Volksbühne while the theatre building is under renovation.
  • The pool will operate for eight weeks and access is organised through free, time‑window tickets that visitors can book online.
  • A programme of activities accompanies the pool, including a crawl swimming course and an introduction to synchronised swimming for participants.
  • Lilienthal presents the Volksbad as a civic gesture and a staged protest against the deterioration of public infrastructure in Berlin while keeping the action non‑subversive.
  • The project draws on a local theatrical tradition of public interventions such as the Grips‑Theater’s 2003 summer work and supplies temporary relief for residents facing overcrowded or closed municipal pools during the hot season.