Structural and system issues led to the Argelati’s closure in 2022. Three years later, the Municipality of Milan allocated a public investment of 28 million euros for its conservative restoration, an intervention that is still ongoing.
At a time when the debate over the progressive disappearance of truly public swimming pools in Milan is more heated than ever, the Argelati case is unique in that, from the outset, the municipality chose to finance the project exclusively with public funds and to design its future with its citizens. The participatory process, “Immaginiamo insieme il futuro della Piscina Argelati” – “Let’s imagine the future of Piscina Argelati together” – involved associations, stakeholders, experts and residents in defining the redevelopment guidelines over a period of two months.