Topping-out ceremony at the swimming pool construction site in Wrzeszcz

Construction of the modern sports, leisure and services complex with a swimming pool in Wrzeszcz has reached one of its most important stages. On Wednesday 20 May, the topping-out wreath was raised on the building. The facility, which will include a Temporary Shelter Location, two swimming pool basins – one with a movable floor – as well as a sauna complex and wellness treatment rooms, is scheduled to open in July next year. The investment cost is PLN 77 million.

The complex is being built at the junction of al. Legionów and ul. Kościuszki – a site long identified by residents as ideal for this type of investment. The construction contract was signed on 18 June 2025, following a tender procedure, and construction began shortly afterwards.

The new facility is a response to the local community's long-standing needs. The complex will serve pupils from nearby schools, senior citizens and all residents of Gdańsk alike, offering a wide range of sports and leisure functions. An important element of the project will be the Temporary Shelter Location (MDS). This is a new category of facility introduced by the Act on Civil Protection and Civil Defence and specified in more detail by a regulation of the Ministry of the Interior and Administration. Under these regulations, such locations are not fully-fledged shelters but publicly accessible spaces (e.g. underground car parks or basements) adapted for taking shelter, for example in the event of extreme weather phenomena.

– This is a wonderful day for Wrzeszcz. As we promised, we are consistently expanding the swimming pool infrastructure in our city. I am delighted that we have reached this highest point of construction today, since it is symbolised precisely by the raising of the topping-out wreath – said the Mayor Aleksandra Dulkiewicz. – What is very important is that we are also responding to contemporary challenges, which is why I am delighted that this project will also include temporary shelter spaces for almost 400 people.

This is a very important function, alongside its recreational, sporting, integrational and rehabilitative role. I am keeping my fingers crossed for the whole construction, because we, the residents of Gdańsk, cannot wait for this pool. Building works, in line with the schedule, are due to finish by the end of this year, followed by finishing and handover. I hope that in the middle of next year we will meet here in swimming costumes to inaugurate the operation of the pool in Wrzeszcz. City councillors also stressed the importance of the new facility.

– For years, Gdańsk has consistently and dynamically been expanding its network of municipal swimming pools, while also ensuring their locations are spread out so that residents' access to this type of service is as wide as possible – emphasised Katarzyna Czerniewska, chair of the Wszystko dla Gdańska group. – That is why, in recent years, swimming pools have been built in districts as far apart as Stogi and Orunia, and a few months ago we gathered for the symbolic ground-breaking for a pool on the border of the three districts of Nowy Port, Brzeźno and Letnica. It is also important that pools in Gdańsk have for years been designed to be spaces for broad recreation, meeting accessibility requirements for people with disabilities as well as for senior citizens.

Krystian Kłos, a Civic Coalition councillor and former chair of the Wrzeszcz Dolny district board, recalled that, as a councillor since 2015, he had been campaigning for the pool to be built.

– I would like to thank the CEO Andrzej Bojanowski, for managing to start and carry out the investment on schedule on this difficult site, on a small plot of land and despite the harsh winter – said Councillor Kłos. – I would also like to thank Deputy Mayor Emilia Lodzińska, with whom, back when she was still on the District Council, we worked together to get this pool built. I am pleased that, alongside the pool, a shelter location will also be created here, providing safety not only in the event of armed conflict but also other crises, such as weather events, which may also make this type of facility necessary to use.

The project involves the construction of a four-storey building (three storeys above ground and one below) with a cubic volume of approximately 25,300 m³ and a usable floor area of approximately 6,700 m². The structure is being built using reinforced concrete technology, while the roof will be made of wood. The building will be divided into three main functional zones: sports and leisure, swimming pool, and services. The pool area will feature a swimming pool measuring 12.5 × 25 m with a depth of 1.80–2.20 m, and a learner pool measuring 6 × 10 m, both built using stainless steel technology incorporating modern solutions such as a movable floor, allowing depth to be flexibly adjusted to users' needs. The sports and leisure zone will include, among other things, a sauna and bathhouse complex and a salt wall, extending the facility's offering to include relaxation and health-promoting functions.

The CEO of Międzynarodowe Targi Gdańskie Andrzej Bojanowski recalled the project's budget and its financing by the city.

– I believe the project will be delivered in accordance with the contract and on schedule. The budget, which stands at PLN 77 million, will certainly be enough to build the facility – said CEO Bojanowski. – I would like to thank the general contractor, the engineers, builders, workers and subcontractors for not halting construction under difficult winter conditions.

Construction of the building is well advanced. At the current stage, the open shell structure of the sports and leisure section is nearing completion, and work on the roof structure is under way. In the pool and services section, the reinforced concrete structures for the pool basins have been completed, and work is continuing on the upper storeys. Installation and masonry works are being carried out in parallel.

The scale of the investment is also confirmed by the materials used to date – around 3,500 m³ of concrete (approximately 440 concrete mixer loads) and 370 tonnes of reinforcing steel have been used so far, equivalent to the quantities used in building 370 single-family houses.

– Just eleven months ago we signed the contract, and today we can say that the project has taken real shape and is progressing as planned. We are pleased to be responsible for delivering this investment, which is so important for residents. The completion of the construction works is not only a milestone for the project but also the result of cooperation between many parties involved. Today's topping-out ceremony is proof of the commitment and professionalism of the entire team – engineers, workers, subcontractors and the investor – who contribute to this investment every day – said Przemysław Kuliś, Director of General Construction at STRABAG. The value of the investment is PLN 77 million.