Poplar Baths Leisure Centre
Tower Hamlets, London

Grade II listed and on the English Heritage ‘Buildings at Risk’ list, Poplar Baths were designed by Borough Engineer Harley Heckford and opened in 1934. An extract from the ‘Architect and Building News’ in January of that year lists the baths as the first example in Britain of a low-cost civic building, standing above its contemporaries in architectural importance: “One of the finest and best equipped baths of comparable purpose in this country.”

Its monumental façade is an interesting adaptation of modern civic design. The reinforced concrete arched roof form of the 1st Class pool, which was used here for the first time for a swimming pool, creates a magnificent heart to the building. Remarkably, the complex was built with local labour and materials. Following its closure in 1986 many original features were stripped out and the building became a construction training centre for LDDC. It was left derelict from 1994 and almost demolished in 2000, after which relentless campaigning for the reopening of the baths began.

Working closely with English Heritage at the development and circulation of a Conservation Management Plan for the building we were able to acquire an essential understanding of its significance both at local and national level.

This was conveyed into a design allowing a brand-new facility with a four-court sports hall, community pool, gym and spa to be incorporated in a grandiose Art Deco building with an Egyptian style front elevation on East India Dock Road: but is really the interior which gives the building its special interest, with its hyperbolic concrete arches and stepped clerestory windows refurbished to create the multi-use sports hall and event space, retaining the stage and entry sequence.

For environmental efficiency, activities were placed in the most appropriate spaces for their respective needs: facilities with a high energy demand such as the conditioned swimming pools, studio and gym areas are housed in the new envelope, whereas the most important historic spaces – main entrance hall, pool hall and upper floor offices – were improved without negative impact on heritage. The former pool hall is now the sports hall and benefits from natural ventilation and ample daylight, the former offices remain in use for (bookable) meeting, staff and training facilities. The building achieved BREEAM ‘Very Good’ rating.