Poplar Baths

Poplar Baths:

Baly's design used the whole of the site. On the East India Dock Road frontage was a two-storey central block of five bays, flanked by single-story ranges with a symmetrical facade. The building was described as 'of Italian character' and was thought to be 'quite an ornament to the neighbourhood'. Its bathing facilities were divided into two classes, with separate entrances, the first-class occupying the eastern side of the building. In each of the side ranges there was a plunge bath 42ft long and 26ft wide, with the dressing boxes placed at the ends. The slipper baths section, behind the entrance hall and staircase, contained 6 baths for women in each division, 12 in the men's first-class section and 24 in the second-class. The steam and shower bath areas were behind the slipper baths and the laundry was placed at the rear of the building, occupying its entire frontage on Arthur Street. The laundry contained 48 separate wooden washing tubs, drying equipment and ironing rooms. The uncovered water tank, which was erected over the boiler house, had a capacity of 24,000 gallons. From the boiler house, the chimney-stack, which was encased in a tower, rose through the centre of the building. An extensive overhaul of the building was needed by the mid-1880s. The changed requirements of the users of the baths made it desirable that a larger swimming pool should be available, with provision for spectators. From 1938 until 1941 the office was used by the staff of the Borough's electricity undertaking, while the showrooms at Nos 208-212 East India Dock Road were being rebuilt. It was then occupied by the Transport and General Workers Union and the Poplar Labour Party. Wartime bomb damage forced the closure of the main bath hall, which remained unglazed for several years and was not reopened until 1947. Other reinstatement of war damage was executed in the early 1950s. In 1985 the foyer ceiling was decorated with three murals, executed by David Bratby, with the history and function of the baths as their theme. In the first four years of operation the baths attracted an average of almost 273,000 users each year, in addition to those attending dances and other events in the hall during the winter season. Post-war usage was somewhat less; between 1954 and 1959 they were used by an average of 225,700 bathers each year. The numbers of dances also declined, reflecting a change in the type of demand for events in the East India Hall. A wider range of sports facilities was provided; in 1956 cricket nets were installed and in the 1960s five-a-side football, indoor bowls and basketball were introduced. The baths ceased to provide for these activities in 1980 when the seasonal conversion of the large pool into a hall was ended, as alternative indoor sports facilities had become available in other buildings. Usage of the baths continued to decline. Between 1966 and 1970 there was an annual average of 209,324 bathers using all sections, but during the period 1980-4 the comparable figure was 106,431. The numbers using the slipper baths also fell, to the extent that those on the second floor, which were in poor repair, were removed. and the space vacated was converted into a music studio, Which was completed in 1984. The remainder of the warm baths section was closed in 1985 and in the following year the large pool was closed for structural repairs to the roof. It was not reopened and, because of the costs of the necessary repairs to the building, the entire baths services were terminated in 1988. By then it was apparent that the earlier unfavourable opinions of the building had changed markedly, at least in specialist architectural circles, with Piers Gough describing it as 'a stunning building with its Hollywood style interior and beautiful vaulted ceiling'. The building subsequently was adapted as an industrial training centre, with financial support from the London Docklands Development Corporation.

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