A Railway Line, Now a Swimming Pool

17:00 - 17:30

La Centrale

What happens when obsolete industrial infrastructure is not demolished, but treated as an active resource for climate adaptation? An answer comes from Basel. On the stage at Utopian Hours, urban planner Lukas Stadelmann discusses the Gleispool Dreispitz project.

Launched in 2021 by the Malheur&Fortuna practice and currently under construction (scheduled to open in summer 2027), Gleispool is transforming a former railway ramp into the world’s first natural ‘water corridor’: 170 metres long, just over 5 metres wide, with water purification achieved exclusively through biological processes using sediment and plants. Around the pool, the tarmac gives way to trees, permeable surfaces and urban biodiversity — an example of how industrial heritage can combat heat islands and restore a sense of wellbeing to the public.

Basel

Lukas Stadelmann Architect

Gleispool Dreispitz

Having studied at ETH Zurich and KTH in Stockholm following his childhood in Lucerne, Lukas Stadelmann has gained solid professional experience in Basel and Zurich. Specialising in the management of large-scale territorial transformations and complex architectural and infrastructure projects, he combines technical work with research. The author of numerous articles on urban planning and urban development, he frequently collaborates with various universities as a guest critic.

At Utopian Hours, he will recount the story of Gleispool Dreispitz, the world’s first 170-metre-long natural swimming pool, which is taking shape on a former railway embankment in the neighbourhood of the same name in Basel, Switzerland.

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