Today was my final day on this European trip. The weather again decided what I should do: look for cover!
My journey to La Piscine, the museum of art and industry, took me to Lille-Europe metro station. The highlight of the station is the fresco by French architect and artist Jean Pattou: An Invitation to Travel Piranesi 2000.
Restored in 2025, the fresco is inspired by famous buildings in Lille and around the world. If you look closely, you’ll see The Great Wall of China, London’s Big Ben, Sydney Opera House, Egypt’s Pyramids, Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia, Chicago’s Willis Tower, Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate, New York’s Brooklyn Bridge, and more.
On the train to the museum, I sat at the front. The train was driver-less and it felt strange but delightful, in a childlike way, to be sitting in the driver’s seat looking at the tunnel approaching, as if I were on a roller-coaster.
It was another very hot day and, after a 15 minutes walk, I was happy to be at the museum.
When architect Albert Baert built the “finest public swimming pool in France” in 1932, he could never have imagined that his Art Deco masterpiece would one day become a museum.
Closed in 1985, it was eventually refurbished in 2001 and then extended in 2018 by Jean-Paul Philippon, one of the architects of the Musée d’Orsay. The recent 2018 extension is devoted to the History of Roubaix, a temporary exhibition space, and a wing dedicated to modern sculpture.
The building keeps its original architecture and charm intact, combining the former swimming pool, the Hanart weaving mill, and a new gallery. Cubicles and former wings, for example, host the fine art and applied art collections.
The former entrance to the swimming pool, with its new contemporary gallery, pays tribute to the exploits of the “Groupe de Roubaix” (a group of artists from Northern France). A botanic garden dedicated to textile plants has been created in the interior garden.
Given that it was a week day, I was surprised how many people were there. When the museum assistant said entrance was free today, it began to make sense. Perhaps, today was a free day?
It turned out that some mayors in France had made museums free to visit during the hot weather. The assistant said that many people don’t have air-conditioning and internal temperatures can rise to over 30°C. This may have been a response to the many deaths a few years ago during another heatwave in France.
I liked the variety of art on display. Many paintings depicted every day life. It was unusual to see paintings of cyclists, even though the Tour de France is such an important event around the world.
The museum was a good place to hang out and I ended up staying there all afternoon.
On the walk back to the station, I passed a bookshop, which doubled as a community hub. Children were painting and making things. The shop owner seemed more like a school teacher than someone trying to sell books!
