Reframing the Welsh Lido Verified listing

South Wales was once a power house of industry. The region became a global centre for coal mining, iron production, and tin-plate manufacturing. In the industrial areas of South Wales, a golden era of public leisure existed in the years leading up to World War 1. Many of the people in industrial communities would come together and create their own lidos.

During the decline of industry, a decline was also seen in these communal lidos. With Wales going from a peak of fifty seven lidos down to only two. The decline of lidos and the erasure of industrial infrastructure are indicative of a wider loss of communal identity within post-industrial landscapes.

My project seeks to reframe the Welsh lido as a new form of civic infrastructure, reconnecting outdoor swimming with the communal identity once embedded within industrial communities. In response to the renewed interest in outdoor swimming since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the proposal positions the lido as a framework to bring community back to these post industrial landscapes.

The lido is powered by a stream north of Radyr weir. The small stone pools cascade along the south bank of the stream. The lido buildings act as a frame within the landscape, highlighting the beauty of the existing stream.