NORD
architecture have been working closely with The Govanhill Pool Trust since
October 2004 on developing a feasibility study for the re-use and redevelopment
of the ‘B’ Listed Govanhill Pool Building. A future use for the
complex must be identified and – more critically – must be sustainable.
The alternative, the gradual destruction of a magnificent building, is unthinkable.
NORD’s aim is to assist the Govanhill Pool Trust in determining the
future for the Baths. The restoration of the 3 existing pools has been a
key focus
as part of a scheme for the whole building that will be financially sustainable
for years to come. The current plans for the restoration of the full site at
Calder Street includes a mixture of uses throughout different parts of the
building which will offer a mixed use programme that is both physically and
culturally sustainable for the building.
Govanhill Baths is a fine example of the high quality of social amenities provided
in Nineteenth and early Twentieth Century Scotland. At this time Bath Houses
were seen as a way of promoting cleanliness, exercise and the general self-improvement
for the working classes.
Govanhill Baths, Glasgow
2008 Work in progress
Wash
baths housed in cubicles in the upper level of the front building to Calder
Street provided the local community with private washing facilities largely absent
from working class dwellings. The building also housed a full Turkish Baths suite.
In one hundred years, whilst alterations and modifications have occurred, many
have not been highly intrusive. Much of the original construction materials and
finishes remain in situ and intact, presenting an invaluable opportunity to conserve
a significant example of a type of building unique to the social conditions and
political will prevalent at the time of construction. Listed grade ‘B’ The
Govanhill Pool is one of the few Glasgow Bath Houses still standing. This would
suggest that it is of great importance to Glasgow’s
built heritage.
