Public baths were located in the working-class neighbourhoods of Montréal between 1920 and 1930. During those years, most dwellings had neither showers nor bathtubs. In the interest of public hygiene, the City of Montréal decided to provide each neighbourhood with a public bath.




In 1924 the City of Montréal commissioned J.-Omer Marchand, a well-known architect at the time, to draw plans. They were completed in 1926. The public bath was inaugurated in 1927 in the presence of Mayor Médéric Martin. According to the custom at the time, the building was named after Damase Généreux, a city counsellor who attended the opening ceremony.

The mission of the bain Généreux was hygiene, but it also met sports and recreational needs. The Montréal sports elite trained at the bain Généreux in the 1970s and numerous competitions were held there. It was Montréal most popular public bath for many years; for instance 87,450 bathers came to the bain Généreux in 1940.



After the 1970s, competitions ended and the sports elite no longer trained at the bath; moreover fewer swimmers were coming. The pool was closed down in 1992 because of heating and plumbing problems. The Écomusée took possession of the building in the fall of 1995 and the renovations started shortly after. The works were supervised by the architect Felice Vaccaro.


The transformation of the bain Généreux into a museum was entrusted to the architect Felice Vaccaro. His concept respects the heritage feature of the bain Généreux and takes advantage of the perspective and the natural light which floods the centre of the building. Besides, the former pool has been converted into an exhibition hall while the ceramic walls can still be seen. The deepest part of the pool is now a small projection room. A bridge was added outside the former walls to link the two mezzanines and to make the visit of the museum easier. Moreover this new bridge offers a different view of the museum. The former showers have been transformed into a small hall for temporary exhibitions. Wherever he stands in the museum, the visitor may appreciate the beauty of the building and of its architecture.