Bath House – Project 2

2012

Ever since their introduction in Victorian times, public baths have served an important communal role as meeting place, in addition to being a place for cleansing and physical well-being. As societies have changed with private bathing facilities becoming more available, there has been a decline in public baths. Hackney Wick’s old Public Baths at Eastway were converted into a local community centre, which closed in 2009. 

Exploring the more permanent aspects of community life and work in Hackney Wick and Fish Island, the main project was to develop a contemporary bathhouse to serve all members of the diverse community of Hackney Wick and Fish Island.

Going back to the historic reference of the Roman Thermae and investigating other bathing traditions and cultures such as the Turkish Hammam, the Japanese Onsen and Sento or the Finnish Sauna, the project was to develop a sequence of spaces exploring variations in light, temperature and atmosphere and the presence of nature.

Occupying and adapting an existing structure or creating a new building, the new public bathhouse aimed to incorporate a communal garden and a restaurant/café space as well as the required ancillary spaces.