Swimming on the roof: Open air pool finally on the horizon for Brussels

As the capital braces itself for a heatwave this weekend, there is a glimmer of good news on the open air swimming pool front.

The ambitious project for an outdoor pool on top of La Manufakture at the former abattoir site in Anderlecht, is finally moving forward.

It was initially given the green light in December 2022 by the then Brussels secretary of state for urbanism, Pascal Smet.

With the Belgian capital lacking outdoor swimming spots, the plan for a pool on top of the multi-purpose building housing a food hall and indoor and outdoor markets was warmly welcomed by the city.

But administrative delays meant the project that Smet said would “make a huge difference to the quality of life for thousands of Brusseleers” has remained on hold.

Now, Ans Persoons, Brussels secretary of state for urban renewal, has announced that a call for tenders is expected this summer when the Brussels regional government has given its approval.

“The city is only getting hotter, so this project is becoming increasingly important,” she told Bruzz, adding that, for her party Vooruit, the project has always been treated as a priority.

The scheme is to be launched via a DBFM (Design, Build, Finance, Maintain) contract, a form of public-private partnership. It is due to be awarded in 2028, with construction of the pool planned for this government’s legislative term. The aim is to start building Brussels’ first open air pool for decades in early 2029.

The project has two aims: to offer the public a unique relaxation space with breathtaking views of the city; and to host the area’s schools for swimming lessons.

“The Brussels Capital Region, Anderlecht municipality and the Flemish Community Commission (Vlaamse Gemeenschapscommissie - VGC) is working currently on the details, but this project is definitely underway,” according to Manufakture’s website.

Other options for outdoor bathing in the capital

The Brussels government also stated in its coalition agreement that it would “further investigate the construction of various open-air swimming locations”, including the one at the Abattoir site.

It also said it would examine plans for a natural swimming pond in Neerpede (pictured above) in Anderlecht, that would take biodiversity and the urban area into account. In addition, it planned to launch a feasibility study for supervised swimming in the canal, near metro Yser.

But the Neerpede project is at a standstill following appeals from neighbourhood committees about the potential noise and damage to local wildlife if public swimming was allowed.

Meanwhile, the huge 350-metre pool planned for Quai des Péniches, where Brussels les Bains used to take place, was scrapped last year due to a lack of funding. The City of Brussels and the Port of Brussels are looking at a much smaller scheme – a single supervised swimming lane in the canal.

A third idea, to build on the vast site of Institut Pasteur, a research complex built in the 1980s on Rue Engeland in Uccle, has also stalled.

This means that open-air swimming in Brussels now that Pool is Cool’s very popular Flow swimming pool shut in May 2025 after four seasons, is unlikely to be on the cards until 2030 at the earliest.

So, unless you have one in your back garden, for now, a trip to Wallonia or Flanders is necessary. The nearest open air swimming spots to Brussels are Renipont beach in Lasne, the Ijsevijver in Overijse, Bloso (Hofstade beach) and at the Kessel-Lo domain. Other albeit pricy options are Thermae Grimbergen and Thermae Boetsfort in the province of Flemish Brabant.

Photo: (main image) ©Abbatoir; ©NV Abattoir – Baukunst; La Manufakture project by Baukunst ©Aldo Amoretti; Neerpede, Anderlecht; Renipont beach, Lasne