Whitevale Baths

MAST were part of a wider study team exploring a viable new future for the Category B Listed former Whitevale Baths in Glasgow’s east end. Once part of a much larger public baths and wash-house complex, years of closure, alteration and partial demolition had left only the principal Whitevale Street wing, with the building remaining vacant and at risk.

The feasibility study considered how the surviving building could be repaired and adapted while retaining its architectural and social significance. A key part of the work was identifying a use capable of supporting the building in the long term, rather than considering conservation in isolation. The preferred option explored its reuse by community charity PEEK, providing flexible space for offices, meetings and community activities.

The existing building would be carefully repaired and reconfigured, with principal activity spaces located within the historic fabric so that surviving finishes and character remained an important part of the experience of the building. A contemporary extension was proposed to the rear to accommodate the more intensively serviced elements, including circulation, toilets, kitchens, meeting rooms and staff accommodation. Keeping these functions largely within the new element reduced the need for intrusive services within the listed structure.

The proposals also introduced improved accessibility and a secure courtyard garden, while retaining a clear distinction between the historic building and the new intervention.  Rather than attempting to recreate the parts of the baths that have been lost, the study looked at how the surviving structure could accommodate a very different use while keeping the history and character of Whitevale Baths legible.