The initial design of the Silesian Park did not include a swimming complex. It was first mentioned in General Jerzy Ziętek’s foreword to the album on the Silesian Culture Park.
At the time, there were no such large swimming pools anywhere in Poland, so the know-how had to be found abroad. The complex was modelled after a similar facility on Margaret Island in Budapest, Hungary. The design was prepared by Jan Kozub, Alojzy Wróblewski and Ryszard Koczy, with Bohdan Boczkaj serving as consultant.
The grand opening of the “Fala” swimming complex took place on June 12th, 1966. During the summer of that year, it was visited by 230 thousand people. The complex quickly gained popularity as the best swimming facility in the voivodeship. In 1967, “Fala” was shown to the members of the International Union of Architects. Considered an outstanding achievement in sports architecture to this day, “Fala” hosted multiple sports events, including international competitions. The swimming complex was closed in 2014.
Renovation works are planned to start soon. The renovated “Fala” complex will accommodate over 2 thousand guests at a time. New facilities will include two water playgrounds, water geysers and fountains, and five slides – the longest one will be 100 metres long. There will also be three swimming lanes, a diving tower, a beach with deck chairs, and a small amphitheatre. The works are scheduled to be completed by 2023.