While North Sydney Council redevelops its iconic Olympic Pool, it is trying to preserve all the things that make it special.
North Sydney Olympic Pool holds distinct heritage significance. Not only does it sit in a prime location, between the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Luna Park, but it has a rich social history. All of these elements add to its charm, and contribute to the many fond memories people have of visiting the pool.
Built in 1936, its unique design features hold a soft spot for many. This includes the classically inspired arches, heritage-listed stair tower and whimsical aquatic motifs, depicting frogs, swordfish, pelicans and seashells. Due to these decorative elements, lots of people believe the pool’s design is inspired by the Art Deco movement, which was a popular trend during the 1920s and 1930s. However, that’s a common misconception, according to Mark Ian Jones, Design Historian at the University of NSW Art and Design.
“Art Deco is a very broad term that encompasses a lot of styles,” Dr Jones says. “We can make the association, but it’s not strictly correct. The pool’s design is interwar neo-classical which flows on from the free-classical movement. There were no rules that the architects [Rudder & Grout] were following.
“While there is some symmetry, the architects weren’t necessarily slavish to that. Their choices were a bit experimental, underpinned by classical design style.”
Dr Jones says these design choices play a role in why a visit to the pool today is such a special experience. “Heritage is an important part of belonging. It offers something comforting and familiar, reminding us of the past and more innocent times,” Dr Jones says. “There is great history in the way we design and why we design. There’s an argument that keeping part of something is worse than keeping all of it, but in this instance (with the pool redevelopment), the decorative elements shouldn’t be superfluous in that.
“When you understand the original architects’ intention with the pool, and the historical relationship of those elements to the other landmarks (the Harbour Bridge and Luna Park), it would seem nonsensical to lose them. The pool works in concert with the Harbour Bridge and Luna Park which were all 1930s builds. There’s a nice community of buildings there; they’re in conversation with each other.”
North Sydney Council historian Ian Hoskins agrees and offers a deeper perspective on the relationship between the three buildings. “You have the monolithic Bridge on one side, a serious engineering feat that showed the rest of the world just what Australia was capable of. In the middle, the Olympic Pool – about to show the world that this country, with a tiny population compared to the United States of America, has some astonishing athletes. It marks the beginning of Australia’s sporting identity; the Golden Age of swimming is coming. Then, on the other side of the pool, all sense of seriousness is gone with Luna Park which is the epitome of Australian larrikin culture.
“We go from the sublime to the ridiculous,” he continues. “The sublime, which is the Bridge – something that overawes you and almost terrifies you with its size – to the ridiculous, which is Luna Park. And in the middle of both of those structures is the pool. It balances the seriousness with the fun. It sums up Australia in this era.”
The pool is expected to reopen to the public in mid-2024.
Provided by North Sydney Council
