Wroclawskie Centrum Spa

The Wroclawski Centrum Spa is a recreational center in Wroclaw, Poland. Designed by German architect Wilhelm Werdelmann, it was built between 1895 and 1897 to provide baths and a recreational pool for the city’s residents.

At the turn of the 20th century, much of Wroclaw’s 40,000 residents lived in tenement housing that lacked proper bathrooms. A group of wealthy burghers and merchants decided to finance the construction of a public bath and swimming pool for men only. An architectural competition was held, and Werdelmann’s design was selected out of the 44 submissions.

In addition to the swimming pool, the completed structure included a steam bath, a spa department, restaurant and ancillary rooms. A decade after opening, high demand prompted the construction of an extension for women, known as the Teatralna Street Complex. By 1930, two more swimming pools had been added along with a Turkish bath, a filter system, laundry rooms, bath tubs, a solarium and a snack bar.

World War II would bring structural distress to the spa as the building suffered minor damage from firefights around Breslau. Over the next two decades, the spa would further evolve as renovations brought additions to the interior.

Today, the Centrum Spa remains a center of recreation and relaxation for the residents of Wroclaw. It currently contains three indoor swimming pools, a sauna zone, a rehab center and a sports club.