Summer is only on the calendar at the moment: With these temperatures, you have to be pretty hardened to swim in the outdoor pool. So it's a good thing that Stadtwerke Gießen AG (SWG) will be reopening the Ringallee swimming centre next Monday, 4 September 2006. The pool was closed for four weeks for renovation and remodelling work. "As in previous years, we used the summer break to carry out urgently needed renovation and remodelling work," said Reinhard Paul, Technical Director of SWG, during a tour with the press.
Visitors can expect the following new features:
- From now on, swimming pool visitors can enjoy an unclouded view of the outdoor area. This is because the approximately 120 m² window area behind the diving tower in the indoor swimming pool has been completely reglazed. As well as looking better - some of the old panes had become blind over time - the new glazing also provides improved thermal insulation.
- SWG had a new ceiling installed in the ladies' and men's showers. New ceiling lights were also installed.
- In the indoor swimming pool, the area in front of the changing rooms was completely re-tiled. Reinhard Paul commented: "In the past, we always had leaks here, which meant that water was dripping into the basement. This has now been rectified." SWG has had a new, less error-prone IT system installed at the cash desk. Visitors who have purchased a single ticket will hardly notice the new cash register system. However, holders of ten and season tickets will have to exchange their cards once at the ticket office for a new card (of the same value, of course). The new cards can then be used as usual at the ticket machines.
Conversion of the slide continues
Work on the new landing pool for the slide has not yet been completed. In order to minimise the risk of accidents for bathers, the slide will no longer end in the non-swimmers' pool as before, but in a separate 6x3 m landing pool. In addition to the new construction of this landing pool parallel to the non-swimmers' pool, the course of the slide must also be changed in its last third. The work is expected to be completed in November 2006.
New tariffs
From 4 September, the new pool prices will also apply in Ringallee. The price increase in the Westbad had already come into effect with its reopening on 7 August 2006. A single adult admission to the Ringallee indoor pool will then cost 3.30 euros instead of the previous 3.00 euros. The price for a reduced admission ticket will rise from 2.00 euros to 2.20 euros. Visitors can obtain information on all the new prices directly from the ticket office or online at www.stadtwerke-giessen.de. SWG board member Reinhard Paul on the new prices: "This price change for the indoor pools is the first price increase in four years. It is necessary in order to at least partially offset the increased costs of the pools."