A disused Victorian dock in Cardiff could become home to the UK’s first outdoor floating swimming pool and wellness facility under a new proposal by Nordic Urban.
The Finnish leisure developer will submit a planning application in October for Allas Pool Cardiff – a £17m year-round outdoor public bathing and sauna complex at the Mount Stuart Graving Docks in Cardiff Bay.
Beckett Rankine’s role focused on the marine engineering challenges behind adapting the historic dock for public use, helping the client understand how the site could be protected, strengthened and brought back into operation.
Nordic Urban opened a pre-application consultation (PAC) on the proposal last week. Feedback gathered during this phase will be reviewed and considered as part of the planning application.
If given the go-ahead, the project would bring a derelict site in the heart of Cardiff Bay back into public use, while preserving the heritage value of the Grade II-listed dock. The 2,000sqm complex would feature a 25m heated swimming pool within a floating pontoon, alongside hot and cold pools, four saunas, eateries and an outdoor terrace.
Nordic Urban owns and operates a similar successful facility in Helsinki and is keen to bring its ‘urban open-air swimming, well-being services and cultural amenities’ concept to the UK.
The Allas Pool Cardiff scheme brings together many specialists, led by Finnish OOPEAA as the architects, UK-based GROSS.MAX for landscaping design, and SPACE&PLACE for delivery.
Beckett Rankine carried out structural, drone and high-resolution multibeam echo surveys of the proposed site. The team also prepared a dredging assessment, advised on licensing and consents, and supported the structural design work, including a study of the pool’s floating pontoon to help assess constructability.
The proposal seeks to work with the existing dock structure, including strengthening the dock itself and maintaining historic winches, bollards and other maritime furniture as part of a cultural reinterpretation of the site.
James Smith, Director at Beckett Rankine and project manager, said,
“The Allas Pool concept has the potential to revitalise an abandoned dock that could otherwise be lost to further degradation or filling in. Beckett Rankine strives to preserve and protect maritime heritage wherever possible, so we welcome this innovative concept that could restore Mount Stuart Graving Docks in a way that is adaptable and accessible for modern public use.
On a personal note, my family history is entwined with the area as several relatives worked in Cardiff’s docks during its heyday. I therefore have a particular attachment to seeing these docks brought back into use for the local community.”
If planning is approved, construction is expected to take around two years to complete.
Image: Artist impression of Allas Pool Cardiff by OOPEAA
