TA24-J F-Pages - Flipbook - Page 73
PHOTO [ASPL_REC-539-B], AUSTIN HISTORICAL CENTER, AUSTIN PUBLIC LIBRARY
Pictured here in 1959, Rosewood Pool in Austin is now one of the most popular municipal pools in the city. The pool holds great cultural value, as it was the 昀椀rst city pool built for
African-American residents and has become a community hub.
in New Braunfels, and Barton Springs and Hamilton Pool in Austin. Each one
has a special place in the Texas vernacular, but all are currently threatened by
climate change. Record-breaking temperatures in 2023, paired with reduced
rainfall, sent the state into a drought that dried up several of these treasured
landmarks and reduced many others to critical levels. Population growth also
puts a strain on swimming holes, with urban expansion requiring more and
more groundwater to be pumped for human use. Texas’ natural swimming
holes are in danger of extinction, and the recent drought has forced many
Texans to confront this reality face-to-face. Fortunately, seeing their beloved
springs in danger has resulted in a promising surge of activism amongst swimming hole enthusiasts across the state.
Regional speci昀椀city and long-standing traditions are key components of
Texas’ pervasive swimming hole culture, inspiring love and loyalty among
locals. Although every place is di昀昀erent, each swimming hole provides a connection to nature and plentiful space for socialization and community-building.
These innate qualities of a Texas swimming hole may be transferable to the
contemporary municipal pool, where natural features and social areas have
largely been removed. The reintroduction of leisure-based design — rather
than design for exercise or spatial e昀케ciency — could o昀昀er programmatic
昀氀exibility that supports open-ended community interaction. Each existing
municipal pool has its own distinct cultural identity, but this identity may not
be recognized or known by anyone outside of the local community. Design and
renovation that acknowledge and honor the ongoing cultural landscape of a
swimming pool through signage, aesthetic choices, or programming could be
a way to re-engage community members with their public pools.
At its core, a public pool is a place for recreation and socialization. Through
unstructured interaction, community members from all walks of life share
in the creation of a collective identity. As a place free of advertisements and
consumerism, pools are a third space in which open-ended play and relaxation
prevail, allowing community members to develop a set of shared interests and
values that strengthen social bonds beyond the pool. In their quest to preserve swimming pools as cultural centers and counteract decades of decline,
municipal governments, designers, and community organizers alike may 昀椀nd
hope in the enduring connection between Texans and their swimming holes.
Abigail Thomas works at McKinney York Architects in Austin.
1/2 2024
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