Who is Piscine Molitor?

The title character of Yann Martel’s Man Booker Prize winning novel Life of Pi, Piscine Molitor “Pi” Patel, is named after Piscine Molitor. This book was made into a movie of the same name which was released in 2012.

When was the Piscine Molitor swimming pool in Paris closed?

The pool in disrepair between its closure in 1989 and redevelopment in 2013. Piscine Molitor (French pronunciation: ​[pisin molitɔʁ]; also known as the Piscines Auteuil-Molitor or the Grands établissements balnéaires d’Auteuil) is a swimming pool and hotel complex located in Porte Molitor, 16th arrondissement of Paris, Île-de-France, Paris, France.

What is Molitor in Paris famous for?

But Molitor is also remembered by Parisians for its transformation in winter into a skating rink. “I remember a quite confined, very crowded place, we used to turn endlessly, bothering each other,” says Corinne Laederich, a Parisian schoolgirl in 1958.

How much does it cost to swim at Piscine Molitor?

This time, though, it’s part of a swish hotel – and a day’s swimming will cost 150 euros (£120, $200). Just how chic the Piscine Molitor once was can be judged by the fact that the US Olympic gold medallist and future Tarzan actor, Johnny Weissmuller, was a lifeguard.

Who opened Piscine Molitor pool in 1929?

In the summer of 1929, Olympic athlete Johnny Weissmuller, who was a lifeguard in his spare time, officially opened Piscine Molitor. The pool often housed fashion shows, theatrical performances, and training for figure skating.

Why does Piscine Molitor change his name in life of Pi?

In Yann Martel’s 2001 novel Life of Pi, the eponymous hero is named Piscine Molitor because his father wanted his soul to be as clean as the pool’s water – a family friend used to swim there while in Paris. (He changes his name to Pi, because of the rude jokes about “Piscine” he was subjected to at his Indian primary school.)

What happened to the Molitor swimming pool?

The Molitor swimming pools were rebuilt as faithfully as possible; many swimmers who had known them in their heyday easily recognised the forms of the balustrades, the mosaics and the colours.