Winner of the Commercial Pool Refurbishment Project category in the UK Pool & Spa Awards, The City Baths in Newcastle is a testament to community action. The City Baths are managed by Fusion Lifestyle in partnership with Newcastle City Council and re-opened in 2020 thanks to a 12-year community campaign to save the baths, run by The Friends of City Baths. Fusion Lifestyle operate dozens of health and leisure facilities around the UK. This experience allowed its team to put forward a clear vision for the building.
A feasibility study assessed this vision against the heritage significance of the building elements which, with consultations, allowed for a preferred option to be established early in the design process. Later additions and alterations were removed, often revealing historic finishes such as a carpet finish in the Turkish Baths was removed to reveal a terrazzo floor with feature star motif.
Historic materials were retained and repaired without losing the age and character that such materials exhibit such as the glazed tiling to the pool tank and terrazzo finish to the pool surround.
Where new elements were introduced such as the adaption of one of the pool halls to a gym and fitness studios, the concept of ‘reversibility’ was followed with minimal contact with existing elements allowing for future removal with minimal damage. The £8m million restoration included renovation of the building’s iconic glass dome ceiling, plus installation of relaxation chambers, atmospheric mood lighting and a brand-new spa, to complement the existing pool, gym and studio offering. The job list for the project was immense. It included restoration of the east pool hall that was originally the ladies’ baths. Conversion of in the west pool hall, originally the men’s baths, to create a high-quality community health and fitness facility comprising large gym and group exercise studios.
Restoration of the Turkish Baths supported by the creation of a high- quality health 
suite in the adjacent basement area. Improved facilities and access for all into and throughout the building. Retention and repair of the existing steel framed Crittall roof lanterns and windows.
The refurbishment of the building has had its fair share of challenges. The restricted city centre site meant that space for the delivery and storage of materials was limited requiring careful management throughout the construction. In addition, the adjacent City Hall remained in use for much of the time and noisy activities needed to work around performance schedules.
The project timescale was extended to a large extent because of asbestos removal taking longer than anticipated. Extensive repair work was necessary to areas of concrete that had spalled revealing corroded steel reinforcing bars. The roof lanterns are a key feature of the original building, and an easy solution would have been their replacement. These were retained and repaired on site by a specialist contractor.
A nationwide leisure operator, Fusion Lifestyle was established in April 2000 following a decision by a London Borough Council to outsource the management of the leisure facilities. Fusion now manages a diverse portfolio of facilities using their specialist expertise to provide sustainable solutions for councils and exciting products and programmes for our customers.
