Group 04 REWORKING WITHINGTON BATHS (Posted 10 May 2023 15:08) – MSA LIVE 23

Group 04 / REWORKING WITHINGTON BATHS

Keyuan Z

Day 1

After the tours, we undertook a heritage and demographic workshop to gain an understanding of the building and its users. This was key for us to create a socially and historically sympathetic design.

The Withington Baths in Manchester, one of the oldest heritage baths still in use today, has three pools: first-class for men, first-class for women, and second-class for men (only two were built due to lack of funds). The baths had different entrances, changing rooms, and pools for men and women. The first-class pool received fresh water every week, while the second-class pool received used water from the first-class pool. On Mondays, the water was refreshed, and on Saturdays, bath entrances were half-price, while on Sundays they were free due to the water being a week old. In addition to providing swimming pools and baths, the Withington Baths served as a cultural hub and community space for people in the neighborhood who didn't have baths in their homes. They also offered rentable bath towels for their clients that were washed in the basement.

In 1914, the Withington Baths were the first baths in Manchester to introduce mixed pools, but they were only available one day a week, and men and women had to swim on opposite sides of the pool. Since 2015, the Withington Baths has been run by the community group "Love Withington Baths." The Manchester city council's decision to withdraw funding for the baths in 2013 led to protests, a community march, and a petition with 8,000 signatures to keep the baths open.

Today, people can swim, exercise in the gym, take classes in the studios, rent office space, and enjoy the café space at Withington Baths. The baths exist not only as a swimming pool and gym but also as a charitable trust, with all profits reinvested into maintaining and refurbishing the building. The Withington Baths is located in the M20 quarter of Manchester, an area that was one of the city's most desirable locations in the early 20th century, known as "upper-class Olympia."

Posted 10 May 2023 15:08

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