£2.5 million refurb for Portobello pool which has last of Edinburgh’s Victorian-built Turkish baths

Portobello Baths, one of the jewels of Victorian civic architecture in Scotland, is to get a £2.5m faclift as part of a major revamp.

Architects are being given the chance to redesign Portobello’s historic swim centre, as Edinburgh Leisure kicks-off the search to find a designer who can reinvigorate the Turkish baths, first built in the late 19th Century.

The £2.5 million revamp of the coastal pool will look to refurbish the interior of the building, create new changing rooms, upgrade fitness and gym facilities and install energy-saving technology to make the baths more environment-friendly.

Maureen Child, Labour Councillor for Portobello and Craigmillar, said: “The baths in Portobello are hugely important to the community, there was a huge campaign just as I became a councillor in 1995 to save it.

“The fear was at that point that it would close so to see more money being spent on refurbishing it again is fantastic.

“A lot of people use them, from all ages and stages, kids, the water polo club – which wins UK prizes – and a very active swim club, using it from morning to night.”

The swim centre, which still houses many of the original Scottish Renaissance-Queen Anne design features from its inception in 1898, as well as one of Scotland’s three remaining Turkish baths, has been without restoration since 2002. The new alterations, once finalised, are hoped to be complete by 2021.

Eligible candidates hoping to win the bid, however, must have an annual turnover of at least £100,000 for the past two years. Submissions, due by 10am on 17 June, will be judged “60 per cent on quality and 40 per cent on cost”.

SNP Councillor for Portobello, Kate Campbell, speaking on the importance of the baths for the community, said: “Portobello Swim Centre is an amazing building and so integral to the character of the promenade. It’s great news that Edinburgh Leisure are investing in it and I’m sure there’ll be no shortage of talented architects keen to get involved”.

Detailing the specifics of the upcoming project on the Grade A-listed building, Edinburgh Leisure said: “Lifecycle works usually entail the upgrading of the building fabric, plant and components together with upgrades to customer-facing areas such as receptions, changing rooms, toilets, staff areas, fitness suites and gym. In addition, self-funding energy-saving investments will be included such as lighting upgrades and energy efficient mechanical equipment replacement. The project will commence from stage 2 of the RIBA plan of work programme”.

The Portobello Swim Centre holds the last of Edinburgh’s Victorian-built Turkish baths, of which the capital has housed several in years gone by. The seaside structure was originally designed by Robert Morham, the City Architect for Edinburgh during the 1890s, responsible for contributing to dozens of widely-recognised works around the capital such as the North Bridge, Lauriston Place Fire Station and the transformation of Princes Street Gardens.