The past, present and future of Haggerston Baths

Haggerston Baths closed in the year 2000 and has been inaccessible to the public ever since. Various regeneration initiatives have been instigated but all have failed, leaving this big, Council-owned building vacant and not serving its community for over quarter of a century. The Hackney Society put on a daytime event as part of @londonfestivalofarchitecture in Centre 151, right next door to Haggerston Baths. It’s for anyone interested in the Baths, Haggerston, Hackney and finding new uses for historic buildings. Discover the story of the Baths from when it opened right up to the present day. We also want to hear people’s memories of the Baths, pre- or post-closure. And, with all hopes for its regeneration back to square one, we’d love to hear what ideas people have for how a renovated and repurposed Baths building could work for the benefit of the people of Haggerston and Hackney. We had a display featuring examples of revitalised historic buildings from Hackney and beyond for inspiration, plus tours around the outside of the Baths as recorded here. The event was not linked to any regeneration initiative but we as the Hackney Society will publicise the outcomes and above all make sure that Hackney Council hears and understands how much people still care about Haggerston Baths. Because no-one wants another 26 years of a big public building providing no benefits to the people who live and work around it. #hackneyhistory #architecture