As a new type of urban environment, Bristol Harbour Lido captures the spirit of Bristol and blurs the boundaries of land and water, making it easy and possible for the people of Bristol to go for a swim in the middle of the city.
Letting people physically connect with the Harbour in a new way, what could be more beautifully Bristol?
We will investigate various options including naturally heating the Lido by connecting to the hot springs underneath Hotwells. We will also look at whether it will be necessary to have filtration systems, or even separate the Lido water completely from the Harbour.
What we'll deliver:
- Investigate the optimum location for a Harbour Lido
- Investigate the potential to naturally heat the Lido through the hot springs under Hotwells/The Avon Gorge
- Design the Harbour Lido using a collaborative co-design process by Bristol designers
- Liaise with Bristol City Council, the Harbour Office etc, and apply for the necessary permissions.
Why it's a great idea:
Bristol is a hub of creativity, sustainability and regeneration, a natural place of urban innovation, with a proud history around the water and connectivity. The Bristol Harbour Lido project would create a safe, defined and protected place for people to swim, reconnecting the people of Bristol with the water in a new and exciting way.
The Harbour is a thriving place to spend time, in cafes/bars/restaurants, sailing, on a canoe, a kayak, paddle-board, ferry etc. The Lido would be an amazing addition to these activities!
Steps to get it done:
- A feasibility study would allow us to develop a design for the Lido, a business plan, and a planning application.
Bristol City Council has undergone a massive clean up operation in the Harbour over the last decade, and the quality of water in some parts of the Harbour is now not far off EU bathing standards.
More work needs to be done, we would look at various options for creating a safe, clean area to swim in, which may include filtration systems, or may ensure the location used is clean.
For example, in Copenhagen, they use the harbour water, which is clean most of the time, but following periods of heavy rainfall, they close the natural Lidos until the water quality has returned to its healthy state again.
