# Piscine Tournesol

A Piscine Tournesol or Sunflower Pool is a type of swimming pool built in France on an industrial scale in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
183 pools were built as a result of the French government's "Operation 1,000 pools" program.

## Background

"Operation 1,000 pools" was launched in 1969 and led by Joseph Comiti, the Secretary of State for Youth, Sports, and Leisure.
The purpose of the program was to promote swimming on a national level following disappointing results at the 1968 Summer Olympics and two accidents in 1969 that resulted in the deaths of 43 children.
Between 600 and 700 pools were built in five styles (Iris, Sky, Sun, Duck, and Sunflower). The Sunflower style edged out the others, winning two design competitions.
The Sunflower pool was the design of architect Bernard Schoeller, with Thémis Constantinidis as engineer, and the Matra company providing materials.
Out of the 250 Sunflower pools that were planned, 183 were built.

## Characteristics

There were two designs: one for 25 m pools and another for 50 m pools.
The roofs were 6 m tall and opened 120° hence the sunflower name, which, weather permitting, allowed the pools to function as semi-outdoor pools particularly in summer.

## Installations

A prototype was built in 1972 in the French commune of Nangis.
The national government dictated the design of the pools but local authorities ran and operated the pools.
Sunflower pools were some of the world's first large-scale prefabricated structures. Most Sunflower pools have since been renovated, adapted, or torn down.
Several Sunflower pools achieved heritage status in the twenty-first century including:
* the Bonneveine pool in Marseille (2000);
* the pool in Carros-le-Neuf (2005); and
* the pool in Biscarrosse in 2012.

## List of Sunflower pools

This is a list of 171 of the sunflower pools built, of which 100 remain.
In addition to the 183 pools in France, 3 were thought to have been built in Luxembourg (of which one remains), 1 in Belgium and 1 in Saudi Arabia.
| Department | Municipality | Name | Year of construction | Current status |
| Ain | Ambérieu-en-Bugey | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Destroyed in 2005 |
| Alpes-de-Haute-Provence | Manosque | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Rebuilt |
| Alpes-Maritimes | Roquebrune-Cap-Martin | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Closed in June 2015, destroyed by fire 6 May 2017 |
| Alpes-Maritimes | Mougins | Piscine Tournesol des Campelières | 1975 | Active, renovated in 2011 |
| Alpes-Maritimes | Carros | Piscine Tournesol | 1982 | Active, renovated in 2005 |
| Alpes-Maritimes | Saint-Laurent-du-Var | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Active |
| Alpes-Maritimes | Cagnes-sur-Mer | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Active |
| Ardèche | Privas | Piscine Tournesol | 1976 | Closed 18 July 2019 |
| Ardèche | Beauchastel | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Active |
| Ardennes | Rethel | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Destroyed 2014 |
| Ardennes | Givet | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Closed in 2006, destroyed in 2009 |
| Ariège | Saverdun | Piscine du Girbet | | Active as at Jan 2018 |
| Aube | Bar-sur-Aube | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Destroyed in January 2018 |
| Aube | La Chapelle-Saint-Luc | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Destroyed by fire in 1979 |
| Aveyron | Rodez | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Destroyed in 2008 |
| Bouches-du-Rhône | Marseille | Piscine Tournesol Charpentier | 1975 | Demolished in 2018 |
| Bouches-du-Rhône | Marseille | Piscine Tournesol La Martine | 1975 | Active |
| Bouches-du-Rhône | Marseille | Piscine Tournesol Desautel | 1975 | Active, renovated in 2015 |
| Bouches-du-Rhône | Marseille | Piscine Tournesol Frais-Vallon | 1975 | Active |
| Bouches-du-Rhône | Marseille | Piscine Tournesol de Bonneveine | 1970 | Active |
| Bouches-du-Rhône | Arles | Piscine Tournesol Philippe-Rouget | 1975 | Active |
| Bouches-du-Rhône | Aubagne | Piscine Tournesol Alain-Bernard Le Charrel | 1975 | Active |
| Bouches-du-Rhône | Lambesc | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Active |
| Bouches-du-Rhône | Vitrolles | Piscine Tournesol Liourat | 1975 | Active |
| Charente | Chasseneuil-sur-Bonnieure | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Active |
| Dordogne | Saint-Astier | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Active |
| Drôme | Valence | Piscine Tournesol des Fontbarlettes | 1975 | Active |
| Eure | Pacy-sur-Eure | Piscine Tournesol Robert-Taron | 1975 | Active |
| Eure | Étrépagny | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Active |
| Eure | Saint-Marcel | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Destroyed in 2007 |
| Finistère | Quimperlé | Piscine Tournesol de Kerjouanneau | 1976 | Demolished in 2009 |
| Finistère | Landivisiau | Piscine Tournesol | 1973 | Closed in 2007, demolished in 2011 |
| Haute-Garonne | Toulouse | Piscine Tournesol Toulouse-Lautrec | 1980 | Active |
| Haute-Garonne | Toulouse | Piscine Tournesol Papus | 1975 | Active |
| Haute-Garonne | Muret | Piscine Tournesol | | Destroyed |
| Haute-Garonne | Saint-Gaudens | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Active |
| Haute-Garonne | Saint-Orens-de-Gameville | Piscine intercommunale du Sicoval | | Active |
| Gironde | Saint-Médard-en-Jalles | Piscine Tournesol | 1981 | Destroyed in 2007 |
| Gironde | Lesparre-Médoc | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Demolished in 2016 |
| Gironde | Cestas | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Active |
| Gironde | Braud-et-Saint-Louis | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Active |
| Hérault | Montpellier | Piscine municipale Suzanne-Berlioux – La Rauze | 1975 | Active |
| Hérault | Montpellier | Piscine Tournesol Jean Vivès | 1975 | Active |
| Hérault | Montpellier | Piscine Jean Taris – Pompignane | 1975 | Active |
| Hérault | Frontignan | Piscine Tournesol Joseph-Di-Stephano | 1975 | Active |
| Hérault | Mauguio | Espace Aquad'Or | 1978 | Active, renovated in 2020 |
| Hérault | Agde | Piscine Tournesol René Carayon | 1975 | Transformed in 2011 into a space for Circus Arts |
| Ille-et-Vilaine | Rennes | Piscine Tournesol des Gayeulles | 1975 | Destroyed in 2008 |
| Ille-et-Vilaine | Cesson-Sévigné | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Destroyed in 1992 |
| Indre | Chabris | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Active |
| Indre-et-Loire | Tours | Piscine Tournesol | 1977 | Destroyed in 2008 |
| Isère | Roussillon | Piscine Tournesol Charly-Kirakossian | 1975 | Active |
| Isère | Charvieu-Chavagneux | Piscine Tournesol | 1973 | Active |
| Isère | Bourgoin-Jallieu | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Closed in June 2022 |
| Isère | Moirans | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Active |
| Isère | Les Abrets | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Active |
| Isère | Le Pont-de-Claix | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Destroyed in 2000 |
| Isère | Saint-Martin-le-Vinoux | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Expected to close January 2021 |
| Jura | Morbier | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Reconstructed in the 2000s dans l'ancien bassin qui a conservé ses dimensions d'origine |
| Landes | Dax | Piscine Tournesol André-Darrigade | 1980 | Closed October 2020 |
| Landes | Biscarrosse | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Active |
| Landes | Saint-Paul-lès-Dax | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Active |
| Loir-et-Cher | Blois | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Destroyed by fire in 1999, rebuilt in 2004. Active. |
| Loire | Sorbiers | Piscine Tournesol de Sorbiers | 1977 | Active |
| Loire-Atlantique | Bouguenais | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Active, major re-design in 1995. |
| Haute-Loire | Langeac | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Undergoing renovation. Expected to re-open in 2023. |
| Maine-et-Loire | Angers | Piscine André-Bertin | 1975 | Destroyed in 2015 |
| Maine-et-Loire | Cholet | Piscine Tournesol | 1976 | Destroyed in 2008 |
| Maine-et-Loire | Trélazé | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Active |
| Manche | Cherbourg-en-Cotentin | Piscine de la Butte | 1975 | Active |
| Manche | Granville | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Closed in 2018 |
| Marne | Vertus | Salle Tournesol | 1975 | Transformed into a sports centre |
| Marne | Fère-Champenoise | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Active |
| Marne | Cormontreuil | Piscine Louvois | 1975 | Active |
| Marne | Fagnières | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Destroyed |
| Meurthe-et-Moselle | Briey | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Destroyed |
| Meurthe-et-Moselle | Saint-Nicolas-de-Port | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Destroyed in 2004 |
| Meurthe-et-Moselle | Longuyon | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Active |
| Morbihan | Lorient | Piscine Tournesol du Bois du Château | 1977 | Restricted access |
| Morbihan | Nivillac | Piscine des Métairies | 1974 | Active |
| Morbihan | Baud | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Destroyed in 2018 |
| Morbihan | Locminé | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Closed in 2012, destroyed November 2015. |
| Moselle | Moyeuvre-Grande | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Destroyed in 2012 |
| Moselle | Bouzonville | Piscine Tournesol | | Closed in July 2016; destroyed in August 2016 |
| Nord | Lille | Piscine Tournesol d'Hellemmes | 1975 | Active |
| Nord | Lille | Piscine Tournesol du Sud | 1975 | Destroyed |
| Nord | Loos | Ancienne Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Converted into a dojo in 1995–1996 |
| Nord | Escaudain | Piscine Tournesol Maurice Thorez | 1975 | Closed in 2009, reconstructed without dome |
| Nord | Lambersart | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Active |
| Nord | Saint-Amand-les-Eaux | Piscine Tournesol Thérèse-Clemmersseune | 1975 | Destroyed in 2016 |
| Nord | Mons-en-Barœul | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Destroyed |
| Nord | Sin-le-Noble | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Active |
| Nord | Douai | Piscine Tournesol Beausoleil | 1975 | Active |
| Nord | Marquette-lez-Lille | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Destroyed in 2012 |
| Nord | Caudry | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Destroyed in March 2016 |
| Nord | Cambrai | Piscine Les Ondines | 1975 | Active |
| Nord | Aniche | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Closed in 2017, expected to be destroyed |
| Nord | Raismes | Piscine Tournesol Louis Poncet | 1975 | Active |
| Nord | Maubeuge | Piscine Tournesol Épinette | 1975 | Active |
| Nord | Louvroil | Piscine Tournesol Léon-Blum | 1975 | Destroyed |
| Nord | Saint-Saulve | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Reconstructed in 2002, without dome |
| Nord | Auby | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Reconstructed in 2015, without dome |
| Nord | Tourcoing | Piscine Tournesol de la Bourgogne | 1978 | Destroyed |
| Oise | Beauvais | Piscine Tournesol Aldebert-Bellier | 1975 | Active |
| Oise | Formerie | Piscine Tournesol | | Replaced in September 2003. |
| Orne | Flers | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Destroyed by fire |
| Orne | Mortagne-au-Perche | Piscine Tournesol | 1974 | Destroyed in 2010 |
| Pas-de-Calais | Achicourt | Piscine Tournesol | | Active |
| Pas-de-Calais | Calais | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Destroyed |
| Pas-de-Calais | Douvrin | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Demolished in 2020 |
| Pas-de-Calais | Carvin | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Destroyed by fire in 2006 |
| Pas-de-Calais | Courrières | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Destroyed |
| Pas-de-Calais | Divion | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Active |
| Pas-de-Calais | Beuvry | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Closed in 2011; destroyed 2012 |
| Pas-de-Calais | Mazingarbe | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Destroyed |
| Puy-de-Dôme | Clermont-Ferrand | Piscine Jacques-Magnier | 1975 | Active |
| Puy-de-Dôme | Cournon-d'Auvergne | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Destroyed in 2013 |
| Pyrénées-Atlantiques | Hendaye | Piscine Tournesol d'Irandatz | 1975 | Active |
| Hautes-Pyrénées | Tarbes | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Active |
| Hautes-Pyrénées | Lannemezan | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Active |
| Pyrénées-Atlantiques | Oloron-Sainte-Marie | Piscine Tournesol | 1977 | Entirely reconstructed in 1997 |
| Pyrénées-Orientales | Saint-Estève | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Active |
| Bas-Rhin | Obernai | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Destroyed in 2013 |
| Bas-Rhin | Lingolsheim | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Active, renovated in 2015 |
| Bas-Rhin | Saverne | Piscine Tournesol | 1979 | Destroyed in 2012 |
| Haut-Rhin | Ferrette | Piscine Tournesol | 1978 | Closed since 2016 for structural improvements |
| Haut-Rhin | Ottmarsheim | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Closed in 2014, destroyed 2016 |
| Haut-Rhin | Tagolsheim | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Destroyed in 2017 |
| Haut-Rhin | Fessenheim | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Destroyed in 2014 |
| Rhône | Villefranche-sur-Saône | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Destroyed |
| Rhône | Cours | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Closed in March 2019 for renovations |
| Rhône | La Mulatière | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Active |
| Métropole de Lyon | Décines-Charpieu | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Destroyed in 2007 |
| Métropole de Lyon | Chassieu | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Destroyed in 2002 |
| Métropole de Lyon | La Mulatière | Piscine municipale du Roule | 1975 | Active, to be renovated |
| Sarthe | Le Mans | Piscine Tournesol des Ardriers | 1981 | Active |
| Sarthe | Écommoy | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Destroyed |
| Haute-Savoie | Passy | Piscine Tournesol de Marlioz | 1975 | Active, renovated in 2014 |
| Seine-Maritime | Le Petit-Quevilly | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Active |
| Seine-Maritime | Bonsecours | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Destroyed in 2012 |
| Seine-Maritime | Montivilliers | Piscine Tournesol | 1976 | Destroyed in 2008 |
| Seine-Maritime | Arques-la-Bataille | Piscine Tournesol | | Closed in September 2014, awaiting renovation |
| Seine-Maritime | Malaunay | Piscine municipale | 1976 | Active |
| Seine-et-Marne | Montereau-Fault-Yonne | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Destroyed by fire in 2007 |
| Seine-et-Marne | Nemours | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Active |
| Seine-et-Marne | Villeparisis | Piscine Tournesol Jean-Taris | 1975 | Active |
| Seine-et-Marne | Nangis | Piscine Tournesol | 1972 | (Original Prototype) Closed in 2009, destroyed. |
| Seine-et-Marne | Combs-la-Ville | Piscine Tournesol | 1973 | Being renovation |
| Seine-et-Marne | Roissy-en-Brie | Piscine Tournesol | 1972 | Destroyed |
| Yvelines | Versailles | Piscine Tournesol de Porchefontaine | 1975 | Destroyed in 2002 |
| Yvelines | Les Mureaux | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Active |
| Yvelines | Montigny-le-Bretonneux | Piscine Tournesol Louison-Bobet | 1981 | Destroyed in 2000 |
| Yvelines | Porcheville | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Active |
| Deux-Sèvres | Parthenay | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Destroyed |
| Somme | Friville-Escarbotin | Piscine Tournesol | 1973 | Destroyed in January 2014 |
| Somme | Ham | Piscine Tournesol | | Destroyed |
| Somme | Poix-de-Picardie | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Closed in April 2016 |
| Somme | Péronne | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Destroyed in January 2018 |
| Var | Six-Fours-les-Plages | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Active |
| Var | Saint-Raphaël | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Destroyed |
| Vienne | Poitiers | Piscine Tournesol La Blaiserie | 1975 | Active |
| Vienne | Loudun | Piscine Tournesol | 1980 | Destroyed |
| Vienne | Chauvigny | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Active, renovated in 2004 |
| Haute-Vienne | Limoges | Piscine Tournesol de Beaubreuil | 1975 | Destroyed in 2017 |
| Haute-Vienne | Saint-Léonard-de-Noblat | Piscine Tournesol | 1973 | Destroyed about 2006 |
| Vosges | Bruyères | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Active, renovated in 2019 |
| Yonne | Sens | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Active, renovated in 2015 |
| Yonne | Saint-Florentin | Piscine Tournesol | 1975, opened 1976 | Active in 2019 |
| Essonne | Lisses | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Active |
| Essonne | Grigny | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Active |
| Essonne | Épinay-sous-Sénart | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Active (renovated in 2012) |
| Essonne | Montlhéry | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Destroyed |
| Seine-Saint-Denis | Bondy | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Active |
| Seine-Saint-Denis | Les Lilas | Piscine Tournesol R. Mulinghausen | 1975 | Active |
| Val-d'Oise | Sannois | Piscine Tournesol Pierre-Williot | 1975 | Active |
| Val-d'Oise | Ermont | Piscine Tournesol Marcellin-Berthelot | 1975 | Active |
| Val-d'Oise | Saint-Ouen-l'Aumône | Piscine Tournesol des Béthunes | 1975 | Active, renovated between 2017 and 2019 |
| Val-d'Oise | Villiers-le-Bel | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Destroyed |
| Val-d'Oise | Fosses | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Active |
| Val-d'Oise | Éragny | Piscine Tournesol | 1975 | Active |
| Val-d'Oise | Herblay-sur-Seine | Piscine Tournesol | | Closed in 2014, transformed into a boules court |
| Luxembourg, Echternach | Berdorf | Piscine Tournesol | | Destroyed |
| Larochette | Mersch | Piscine Tournesol | 1976 | Active |

## Legacy

A model Sunflower pool is featured at the Architecture and Heritage City Museum in Paris.
A photo by Aurore Valade of the Sunflower Pool in Beauvais was published in 2008 in the photo book Plein air.