Southwark Lido

An exciting temporary lido, created by acclaimed French architecture collective EXYZT and filmmaker Sara Muzio will appear on Union Street, London SE1 this summer. Following in the tradition of Roman baths and Turkish hammams, which provided a setting for social gathering, ritual cleansing and uninhibited political discussions, the Southwark Lido will host a variety of activities in an unusual, architecturally innovative environment. Curated by The Architecture Foundation, the Lido will provide bathing and breathing space for the general public, residents of Southwark and visitors to London Festival of Architecture alike.

Within a futuristic low-tech complex, visitors of all ages can enjoy the refreshing spray of the water deck, or sweat it out in a sauna; there will be a paddling pool for children; beach huts doubling as changing rooms and living pods for staff; a sun deck; a bar operated by east London restaurant Bistrotheque. On hand to assist visitors will be the lido team wearing uniforms designed by House of Holland. Adding colour will be a mobile garden, created on-site in collaboration with Bankside Open Spaces Trust, which will be distributed throughout the neighbourhood at the end of the Festival.

The Southwark Lido expresses EXYZT’s strategy of urban renewal, based on the idea that a community of users actively creating and inhabiting their urban environment is key to generating a vibrant city. This project explores the potential of using a site in transition from empty lot to new residential and office buildings, generously lent by Solid Space, to create a vibrant point of community and cultural engagement during its transformation. The run-up to its installation will see the organisers forming links with the local community and specific groups, providing them with a new place to hold events and share their work.

The Lido sits within LFA2008’s Southwark & South Bank Hub curated by The Architecture Foundation, which occupies a dynamic part of London that has moved away from its traditional label as ‘the other side’ of the Thames. It is now a major cultural quarter, with key venues like Tate Modern sitting alongside proposed urban redevelopments such as ‘The Shard’ (Renzo Piano’s new office tower) and developments at London Bridge. Lively activities across the Hub will build on the area’s history, reveal a hinterland of hidden territories and offer new visions for the contemporary city.

During the LFA2008 Southwark & South Bank Hub focus week, 9 - 13 July will host:
• Lunchtime Picnics: Take a proper lunch break: bring your lunch to the pool side, have a quick dip, sunbathe and socialise
• After School Club: Activities for children of any age
• An After Work Drink: Come and relax after a hard day’s work: sweat out tensions, have a drink and enjoy informal presentations by artists, musicians, architects, and many others
• Film Club: Evenings are for film screenings in the open air, pool-side cinema

Construction and activities at this temporary settlement start on 20 June, with a programme of public events from 9 to 13 July.

The Southwark Lido will be open:
Wednesday 9 July, launch, 7pm - 9pm, Thursday 10 July - Saturday 12 July, 10am - 9pm,
Sunday 13 July, 10am - 7pm

Past projects by EXYZT include: LabiChampi, a Mushroof construction and festival in Karosta, Latvia; Metavilla, converting the French Pavilion into an inhabited villa at the 10th International Architecture Biennale, Venice, Italy; S.E.T., an inhabited launch-pad for the Agbar Tower in Barcelona, Spain; and EKTOP #1, an urban satellite in the garden of les Halles as part of the Nuit Blanches 2005, Paris, France.

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