Laguna Vere Swimming Pool Complex, Tbilisi, Georgia

Laguna Vere (Georgian: ლაგუნა ვერე) is a large outdoor aquatic leisure complex in central Tbilisi, Georgia. Opened in 1978, the first pool complex of its kind in the Caucasus, it was once the most popular swimming pool in Georgia. Today it sits unused, its pools empty, home to only stray dogs and wild plants, and facing an uncertain future.

I visited Laguna Vere during my 2022 Georgia and Armenia Tour, an amazing trip exploring Soviet-era architecture and relics.

Soviet-Era Context of Laguna Vere

Plans for Laguna Vere were conceived in the mid-1960s as part of a Soviet investment in fitness, culture, and mass sports. The project’s design was approved in 1965, and construction began soon after. After delays, the complex finally opened on October 13th, 1978, under the rather long name “Leninist Komsomol Aquatic Sports Complex.” It hosted both national and international competitions over the decades. The complex primarily functions as an open-air swimming facility for the general public in Tbilisi.

Architecture and Features of Laguna Vere

The complex consisted of three outdoor pools: a 50 × 25m Olympic competition pool, a 25 × 20m diving pool, and a 25 × 10 m training pool. The diving pool has boards at 3m, 5m, 7.5 meters, and 10m (the 10m for Olympic-standard diving). Seating capacity for spectators could accommodate 5,500 people. The diving tower above the pool is cast in exposed concrete, a hallmark of Soviet Brutalist expression. At the front, the façade featured a large mosaic by artist Koka Ignatov, crafted in the smalti-glass technique. This mosaic panel remains one of Georgia’s longest decorative artworks.

Decline and Current Status

Following the collapse of the USSR, this complex fell into decline both in visitors and maintenance. Laguna Vere was privatised in 2000, and it initially continued operation. By 2014 it closed permanently, deemed unprofitable and its Brutalist style thoroughly out of fashion. Furthermore in 2015 the complex was flooded, accumulating garbage and silt inside the once prized swimming pools.

Presently, small businesses rent some of the areas at the complex’s front. The huge outdoor pool complex and immense seating stands stand disused, home only to dogs and the occasional exploring photographer.