Historic City Baths reopens after £7.5 million redevelopment

The historic City Baths in Newcastle has opened its doors this week (January 27) after an extensive £7.5 million refurbishment.

Six years after its closure to the public, the City Baths has reopened with a fully restored pool and new fitness and wellbeing facilities.

The development was commissioned by Fusion Lifestyle who worked with Napper Architects and specialist contractor Createability to breathe new life into the Grade II-listed building.

The City Baths is now one of only 11 historic Turkish baths currently in operation across the UK.

Anthony Cawley, director of operations at Fusion Lifestyle, said: “The baths have been enjoyed by generations of locals since they opened in 1928 and are a cultural icon to the residents of the city.

“When we spotted the campaign to save the building, we were keen to take on the project and help ensure that its precious history was retained.

“Due to the age of the building and the specialist works needed, the renovations have taken longer than originally anticipated, however we wanted to make sure the restoration was done to the highest of standards.

“We’ve worked closely with the local authority’s conservation officer to ensure that we have kept works true to the original building design, while also incorporating modern touches to ensure that it meets the demands of today’s customers.

“It has taken a lot of hard work and effort, but we have completely fallen in love with the City Baths and are incredibly proud to be cementing its future for generations to come.

“We can’t wait to see what everyone makes of it. This isn’t the work finished as we will continue to lovingly restore this building for many generations.”

The new look City Baths combines a fully-equipped gym, sauna and fitness studio that will hold up to 100 classes every week with the Turkish baths and a luxury spa, which is set to open in due course.