Outdoors

Peckham plunges into the past with planned outdoor pool

View 3 Images
Peckham Rye Lido will have an Olympic-size heated pool and a separate natural pool with water possibly sourced from the subterranean River Peck
Studio Octopi + Picture Plane
Peckham Rye Lido will have an Olympic-size heated pool and a separate natural pool with water possibly sourced from the subterranean River Peck
Studio Octopi + Picture Plane
Peckham Rye Lido will also have an outdoor cinema with amphitheater seating, rooftop sunbathing areas, a restaurant, a gym and yoga and dance studio and a function room for hire
Studio Octopi + Picture Plane
Peckham Rye Lido will be located on the same site as the original lido and is designed to be an all-year-round facility
Studio Octopi + Picture Plane
View gallery - 3 images

Peckham, in south-east London, used to have its own outdoor swimming pool, but it was closed in 1987 and all that remains visible is a crumbling fountain. Now, though, the firm behind the Thames Baths project is involved in plans to reopen the facility as Peckham Rye Lido.

Studio Octopi won an invited competition to design the new lido in January 2015. It is now working with Ben Lloyd-Ennals and Jim Glynn, who were behind an initial petition to reopen the lido and are running the ongoing campaign.

Whereas the Thames Baths project would see open air pools in the River Thames, the Peckham Rye Lido would see purpose-built open-air pools in parkland. In this sense, the project is more similar to that of the King's Cross Pond Club open-air swimming pool.

According to the recently launched crowdfunding campaign for the lido, the plan is not to simply make a replica of the original. Instead, it will reportedly "be a mix of old and new – with a nod to the past, while also embracing the modern trends of urban and 'wild' swimming."

Peckham Rye Lido will also have an outdoor cinema with amphitheater seating, rooftop sunbathing areas, a restaurant, a gym and yoga and dance studio and a function room for hire
Studio Octopi + Picture Plane

Located on the same site as the original lido, the new facility is designed to be an all-year-round facility. It will have an Olympic-size heated pool and a separate natural pool with water possibly sourced from the subterranean River Peck. The latter will be built as part of a second phase. In addition, there will be an outdoor cinema with amphitheater seating, rooftop sunbathing areas, a restaurant, a gym and yoga and dance studio and a function room for hire.

The crowdfunding campaign for the Peckham Rye Lido was launched on Spacehive last week to raise money for the next stage of development and for planning applications.

Sources: Studio Octopi, Spacehive

View gallery - 3 images
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Flipboard
  • LinkedIn
1 comment
Nik
The neglect of Lido's by various councils around the country verges on the criminal. Some lido's were lucky, and were bought by private concerns, and revitalized. Most like this one have disappeared, depriving the local population of a valuable amenity. Sometimes its the lure of more income from council taxes, that seem to be the reason, as councils want to put the land up for sale for redevelopment. I've seen several 'ghost Lido's' around the country, one in my home town is still crumbling while the council does nothing, and ignores please to restore it. Given the tendency of the population towards obesity, the restoration of these pools can only be for the good.