History belongs to the future 3 1

Ian Dungavell, director of the Victorian Society, explains why he’s been campaigning to save the last surviving examples of Victorian baths.

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Ground floor plan 1 Willes pool 2 Grafton pool 3 Learner pool 4 New entrance 5 Female changing rooms 6 Male changing rooms

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it to see what was underneath, we found the faces had been cut off of the original glazed brickwork to increase adhesion. You look at that attitude today and you can’t help but think ‘how could you?’” says Terry Gallagher, senior building surveyor at Camden Council. A dizzying 5.5 miles of scaffolding was

erected inside the pool to gain access to the underside of the vault. Fibrous plaster specialists then made highly accurate drawings of every surviving roof panel, which formed the basis for new panels and mouldings. Remarkably, the roof’s 12 main exposed timber trusses were relatively undamaged, so English Heritage insisted they remain in place, although new metal shoes incorporating damp sensors linked into the building

management system were inserted at the ends of each truss to prevent future rot. Double-glazed, self-cleaning roof lights were then installed. Max Fordham’s strategy of

incorporating services within the building’s structure is evidenced in Willes pool, where all the air conditioning ductwork and other services have been routed through spaces underneath the original public gallery seating surrounding the pool at first floor level. Now the hall is complete, sunlight cascades through the vault into the pool’s blue waters below. Somehow it feels like a Victorian vision of the future, a watery version of St Pancras Station. “It’s spectacular, I don’t know of anything else like it in the UK,” confirms the Victorian Society’s Dungavell. Repairs to the terracotta stone and

Tiling work for the base of the reconstructed Grafton pool

brickwork facades and slate roofs were equally involved. The facades were first washed to clean off dirt, scaffolding was erected, then a painstaking “brick- by-brick” detailed condition survey was completed. Individual terracotta tiles and bricks were removed and repaired and those too badly damaged were remade. The attention to detail on the facades even extended to repainting all the lettering over the ladies’ and mens’ entrance signs with gold leaf. Kentish Town Sports Centre was

“ There was horrible 1960s tiling covering the walls, and when we removed it we found the faces had been cut off of the original glazed brickwork.” Terry Gallagher, Camden Council

handed over to the council in July this year, on time and on budget — a considerable achievement considering the scope of work, says Dungavell. “A good balance has been achieved between preserving areas of historical interest and accommodating modern uses,” he says. Now, there’s every hope that a building that combines the achievements of two eras will continue to be at the heart of the community for the next 100 years. CM

As an architectural conservation charity, we believe Victorian and Edwardian pools have a vital role to play in communities, which have often evolved around them. Many people love the architecture for its intrinsically human scale, while the privacy of the swimming environment is very unlike modern pools, where glass walls between spaces can make you feel like you are in a goldfish bowl. In 2008 we surveyed the

number of listed Victorian and Edwardian swimming baths still being used for their original purpose and found a total of 14 in England and Wales. Many are in danger of being forgotten and urgently need attention, but some are now being faithfully restored. As well as

the St Pancras Baths, the 1920s-built grade II-listed Marshall Street Baths in London’s Borough of Westminster also opened in July. Here, the pool had all its original marble lined floors and barrel-vaulted ceiling restored. Another good example is

the partially-restored grade II*-listed Victoria Baths in Manchester, which has beautiful public spaces clad in glazed tiles and many decorative stained glass windows, although the swimming pools remain neglected. Perhaps the best surviving example is Bradford’s tiny

Manningham Baths, built in 1904 which, apart from some damage to the roof structure, is practically the same inside as the day it opened, right

down to the spittoons that run the length of the scum channel. Many projects are London-

based, such as Ironmonger Row Baths in Islington, which is currently undergoing extensive refurbishment work, and Haggerston Baths in Hackney. This is probably because land in London is more valuable, so developments can make money by incorporating flats, plus there is also a shortage of land available to build new pools, making refurbishment more attractive. We want to

The ornate entrance hall and stained glass at Manchester’s Victorian baths

spread London’s good practice around the country because there are other pools that really need it, the most important being the 1907-built Moseley Road Baths in Birmingham, which is the only grade II*- listed Victorian or Edwardian bath still open

for the public to swim in. In the past, some baths have

been converted for new uses. But the Victorian Society wants to ensure that these buildings are used for their original purpose so they don’t lose their essential character. We’re not saying every inch of the building has to be used as it was before, but the aim is to keep what’s most important about each site and also bring other new uses in.

CONSTRUCTION MANAGER | OCTOBER 2010 | 33