On September 7, 2019, the Water Sports Palace opened in test mode at Luzhniki.

The sports facility was visited by the President Vladimir Putin and Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin.

“Here was the Palace of Water Sports, the pool, which practically collapsed and did not function. We decided to create a new modern water sports center in its place. This is a professional 50m swimming pool. There are two 25-meter ones nearby and there is a large water park. It means there is everything for professional athletes, for amateurs, for children, and for family holidays. A comprehensive project,” said the Mayor of Moscow.

The new pool at Luzhniki will receive more visitors than the old one.

“Stylistically, it resembles the old one, but in its pools there is one and a half times more water, there will be more attendance, more turnover of this center. It is a gift for the country, for Muscovites,” said Sergei Sobyanin.

In fact, this is one of the largest water sports and entertainment complexes in Russia and Eastern Europe. It will be used not only by Muscovites, but also by thousands of Russians who visits the capital.

The Palace will be open to visitors after all commissioning works are completed - they are scheduled to be done before the end of this year.

The Luzhniki swimming pool (formerly the swimming pool of the Lenin Central Stadium) was built in 1956 by architect A.V. Vlasov. It was part of the Olympic complex. It hosted competitions in swimming, water polo and diving. During the 1980 Olympics, water polo competitions were held here, in which the Soviet team won gold medals. During 60 years, it has hosted the competitions of three world championships, two European championships, 11 USSR championships and many other water sports competitions.

Over time, the pool was no longer meeting the requirements of international sports federations. Based on the results of the examination, it was decided to modernize the old building and create a modern multifunctional swimming complex on its basis. The reconstruction began in 2016 according to the project of the Moscow bureau UNK project and was completed in September of this year. Project documentation and detail design were developed by the Metropolis.

Now the Water Sports Palace is a five-storey building with one underground level. Its area is 51.8 thousand square meters - 2.6 times the size of the old pool (19.7 thousand square meters). The swimming complex has retained the main features of the former building and stylistic unity with the rest of the Luzhniki facilities. Muscovites themselves wished so.

The concept of the Water Sports Palace is based on a modern interpretation of the architectural traditions of the 1950s. The facade of the complex is made in sand colors, like the building of the Grand Sports Arena, the colonnade is also recreated. The main and side facades were decorated with replicas of 12 bas-reliefs, which exactly repeat the historical panels. In the style of Soviet romanticism of the 1950s, they depict competitions in various sports, athletes with cups and laurel wreaths, girls in swimsuits, naked figures that resemble antique statues. Also, the facades are decorated with an ornament of rings, reminiscent of the 1980 Olympics.

The historical bas-reliefs that adorned the old building have been preserved, restored and placed inside the new Water Sports Palace. Now they can be seen on the wall of the main entrance to the pool area.

Specifically for the new complex, a lighting concept was developed with spotlights for significant architectural details. Thanks to it, the Olympic rings can be seen not only on the facades of the building, but also on lamps, fences, and on the fountain. In fact, this is the main stylistic element.

The swimming center at Luzhniki is equipped with a convertible roof that hangs over the building like a cylindrical glass passage. In just 15 minutes, sections of the roof can be moved apart in opposite directions. All engineering communications are neatly hidden inside the building. This is done because the complex offers a beautiful view from the Vorobyovy hills and the metro bridge.

The Palace has three swimming pools: a 50-meter pool with ten lanes and two 25-meter pools with three lanes each. One of the pools is equipped with a lifting bottom - this will allow children and people with limited mobility to use it. The total water surface area of all pools is 3.1 thousand square meters - 1.5 times more than in the old pool (two thousand square meters). The complex has the ability to place mobile stands for 250 seats.

The pools of the swimming center at Luzhniki meet the Olympic standard of the International Swimming Federation. They have the most modern water purification systems - 32 filters, as well as ozonation and ultraviolet water purification systems.

Read the full material on the official website of Moscow Mayor.