By Mark McConville
THIS DISUSED bus was converted into a public swimming pool by a creative artist for one lucky town.
Incredible images show the bus tipped on its side with the inside hollowed out and replaced with a shimmering pool.
Other striking shots show people enjoying the quirky pool set up in a car park while there is even room for a life guard’s station.
French artist Benedetto Bufalino, who is known for converting old automobiles into fun and functional objects, recently presented the northern French region of Artois with the new public swimming pool.
Accommodating up to ten swimmers at a time, the bus offered locals a respite from the late summer heat.
The installation is part of a local program, “operation odyssey”, which hosts various events throughout the summer to attract visitors to the area of the Nord-Pas de Calais Mining Basin, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The pool was unveiled in late August and will be installed in three local towns until it finds a permanent home.
The artist salvaged an old Tadeo model bus from the local transport graveyard. Once he completely gutted the interior seats and flooring, the next step was removing an entire side panel.
Tipping it over onto its side, he then retrofitted the interior body of the bus with a custom shell so that it would be able to hold water.
The finished product is a colourful swimming pool that measures almost 30 feet long and almost 8 feet wide.
