Barking Bathhouse

Source: www.createlondon.org

Axe Street, IG11 7LX, Barking & Dagenham

CREATE has commissioned Something & Son to design and build a unique new space, the Barking Bathhouse, that draws on innovative health, beauty and design practices to bring about a little bit of happiness and relaxation this summer.

Something & Son is the design practice behind the hugely successful FARM:shop in Dalston, in which a fully functioning farm has been created in a disused shop. Its approach for the Bathhouse is rooted in a long history of British inquisitiveness and experimentation, and reflects its passion for social enterprise, sustainability, engineering and art.

The Bathhouse revives the spirit of Barking’s former Bathhouse, which, before closing in 1986 after 87 years of operation, catered for the health of thousands of local people and even hosted events, dinners and dances until the 1960s. The 6,000-square-foot new structure is inspired by both 20th-century working men’s bathhouses and ultra-modern spas, and combines modern spa technologies with functional design that draws on Barking’s industrial heritage, the black-stained timber farm buildings of Essex and the wooden beach huts of Kent. Its raw aesthetic challenges traditional notions of luxury whilst creating a blissful space to relax, and its pod-based design, which was prefabricated and assembled on site, was planned with the future in mind, so that after it closes, the pods can be relocated individually or together for continued use by the local community.

For the ultimate in indulgence, the Bathhouse combines a spa with a bar. A series of massage and treatment rooms lead to a traditional sauna and a cold room lined with ice blocks, bringing traditional bathhouse rituals into the experience. Massages, body treatments, manicures and pedicures are all offered, and Something & Son has worked with local beauticians and gardeners to develop natural treatments that use produce from local allotments. In the relaxation area, spa visitors will be able to socialise and sunbathe on loungers in seaside-inspired pebble bays under an open roof, whilst in the bar, they can sip healthy cocktails and smoothies under a canopy of cucumber vines that also provide the raw materials for treatments next door. Shingle dunes provide the perfect space to relax and unwind between treatments.

The Bathhouse also runs a varied events programme – from philosophical talks to chocolate-making workshops, plus laughter yoga, clowning workshops and comedy nights, its ethos is to cultivate happiness and wellbeing.