The Turkish Baths

Turkish Baths plans
Using funding from the Restoration Fund, raised by telephone calls in the Restoration series and from donations, the Trust commissioned detailed architectural work to show how the Turkish Baths at Victoria Baths could be restored. This work was carried out by architects Austin-Smith:Lord and Lloyd Evans Prichard.

Now that Restoration Phase 1 is being carried out, the full restoration of the Turkish Baths is part of Phase 2. So the final plans may be different to the ones shown here. We are showing these to show how the Turkish Baths and the front section of the building COULD be restored for re-use by the public.

To view the plans for the Turkish Baths restoration please click on the links below. Please note that the plans will download at a reduced size. You can use the Zoom controls of Acrobat Reader to size it more appropriately (75% - 100%).

Site Location

Street parking

Proposed Basement

Proposed Ground Floor

Proposed First Floor

As well as specifying the repairs which are required, the architectural scheme makes some proposals for alterations to the building:
• Creation of ramped access in front of the building and insertion of a lift within the building to make the Turkish Baths accessible for people with disabilities.
• The creation of a plunge pool within the Turkish Baths suite. In the past Turkish Baths users had access to the swimming pool to use as a plunge pool.
• Whilst the 1st class entrance hall will be fully restored, a new reception area will be created in a room off the entrance hall.
• New changing facilities will be created in the basement below the Turkish Baths suite.
• The Aeratone will be re-located from its present position to a room in the basement below the Turkish Baths suite.
• Creation of a café, including an external seating area in the western corner of the building.

The above alterations have already been discussed with English Heritage but will need formal Listed Building Consent before they can be carried out.

In other respects the plans for the restoration of the Turkish Baths involve repair and restoration rather than alteration. There are a number of significant areas of structural repairs required:
• Re-forming of the floor within part of the Turkish Baths suite
• Repairs to the ceiling/roof of the Turkish Baths suite to deal with corrosion of steel beams within the ceiling