Poplar Baths Leisure Centre

Tower Hamlets E14, East London

CLIENT: LB Tower Hamlets
VALUE: £40m
DURATION: 24 months
SECTOR: Leisure

Scope of works:

Award-winning leisure regeneration project.
40% reduction in energy consumption compared to a typical UK leisure centre.
Green roofs, bio-diversity friendly landscaping, and ecological planting.
Major CHP system, Solar Panels and recycled water for all welfare facilities.
Sport England standard 25m community swimming pool and a 12.5m x 7m learner pool.
High-efficiency filtration and water treatment systems, energy-efficient pool plant equipment.
Large multi-sports hall.
Fully equipped gym.

What They Say About Us

Thanks for such a fantastic leisure project, people will now be able to enjoy its facilities as well as appreciate the history and value of such a magnificent building.

I am thrilled that Poplar Baths has been brought back to life – after an absence of nearly 30 years – to offer what can only be described as a truly first-class leisure facility for residents and visitors of all ages.

Overview

Guildmore carried out the £40m regeneration of the Grade II Listed Poplar Baths in East London, helping to revive a valued and historic community asset. The space now operates as a wet and dry leisure centre, equipped with state of the art facilities and energy saving technologies.
This bespoke Design & Build project required an innovative approach to sustainability, balancing modern efficiency with historical integrity. Our design team worked closely with environmental assessors and Historic England to achieve a BREEAM rating of ‘Very Good’ and facilitate a significant reduction in the overall carbon footprint of the building.
As a result of the collaborative efforts between Guildmore, our partners and the council, this project received New London Architectures’ Conservation and Civic Trust Award.

Challenges

Poplar Baths is situated on a constrained site within a live urban environment, which presented significant logistical challenges. Through collaboration with local stakeholders, careful coordination of work, and in-depth traffic and logistics plans, we were able to successfully mitigate the impact on the surrounding area.