In the 1970s, the French government conceived a plan to make swimming accessible to all French people. The project, which ran until the early 1980s, was given the name '1000 piscines'. It offered municipalities the opportunity to build a standard swimming pool at a modest cost. Several types were designed, but the 'tournesol' (sunflower) type garnered the most popularity. A total of 183 were built, 26 of which were in the north of France. Today, about half of the tournesol pools are closed or destroyed. Others have been rehabilitated, sometimes in a surprising way.

This small swimming pool was located on Rue du 8 mai 1945 (hence the name Piscine Mai) in Douvrin. At the entrance, the sheer decay is immediately apparent. Shattered windows, torn-off portholes, ugly graffiti... There is also no trace left of the typical yellow PVC changing cabins that contributed to the glory of the 'piscines tournesols'.

The dome made of polyester tiles, developed by engineer Thémis Constantinidis, consists of 36 metal arches. Twelve of these are retractable, allowing the pool to be opened at an angle of 120° during the summer. One in two arches is pierced by 7 portholes, contributing to the futuristic appearance of the design. This flying saucer-shaped pool must undoubtedly have charmed thousands of French schoolchildren…