Make a splash: we visit Reading’s refurbished Edwardian Thames Lido

Taking a dip in balmy waters before tucking into a Mediterranean feast are activities not normally associated with the commuter town of Reading, but the new Thames Lido brings eating and exercise together in a refreshing and unexpected way.
Consisting of a 100-cover restaurant headed by celebrated Bristol chef Freddy Bird, a 25m outdoor heated pool, two saunas and treatment rooms, it’s the brainchild of Bird, Swedish developer Arne Ringner and architects Marshall and Kendon, who together revitalised the similarly derelict Clifton Lido in Bristol in 2008.
‘When we arrived on site in 2013, we found a pool filled with duck weed, rotten timber beams and brickwork covered with buddleia,’ explains Sam Kendon. ‘The lido had been abandoned for 40 years, and we spent most of out time restoring original features such as the decorative wooden bargeboards, tiles, floors and ironwork.’
Built as a Ladies Swimming Pool in 1902, the lido is entirely sheltered from public view, but small windows allow glimpses of boats and cyclists as they trundle along the Thames towpath nearby and tall trees on all sides provide backstroke swimmers with a delightful canvas of green. Ringner and his team stepped in as the Grade II listed building – one of oldest open-air municipal pools of its era – was on course to becoming a hotel.
A Spartan setting this is not. Swimmers and spa goers in blue robes tuck into wine, hearty rumps of beef, pork collars and ox cheek, all cooked in Bird’s charcoal grill and wood fired ovens; early morning swimmers can have hearty cooked breakfasts and coffee, and for the few who are there purely for the fitness rather than feasting, fresh juices and salads are served all day.
The creative trio that make up the ‘Lido Team’ may have no real passion for swimming, but they are always on the hunt for unloved British lidos in need of repair; ‘They are becoming harder to find,’ says Kendon, ‘from Penzance to Tooting to Brighton, these days lidos are rather high profile.’
The team behind its redesign consists of chef Freddy Bird, Swedish developer Arne Ringner and architects Marshall and Kendon.
The lido includes a 25-metre outdoor heated pool.
Originally built as a Ladies Swimming Pool, the lido is entirely sheltered from public view.
Now it includes a 100-cover restaurant headed by celebrated Bristol chef Freddy Bird.
The architects worked on restoring original features such as the decorative wooden bargeboards, tiles, floors and ironwork.
The restaurant offers breakfast, coffee, salads and juices, as well as more hearty meals, for hungry swimmers.
INFORMATION
For more information visit the Thames Lido website and the Marshall and Kendon website
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Emma O'Kelly is a freelance journalist and author based in London. Her books include Sauna: The Power of Deep Heat and she is currently working on a UK guide to wild saunas, due to be published in 2025.
-
'You can feel their presence': step inside the Eames' Pacific Palisades residence
Charles and Ray Eames’ descendants are exploring new ways to preserve the designers’ legacy, as the couple’s masterpiece Pacific Palisades residence reopens following the recent LA fires
-
The great American museum boom
Nine of the world’s top ten most expensive, recently announced cultural projects are in the US. What is driving this investment, and is this statistic sustainable?
-
Here’s how Heathrow is reimagining airport chaos as ambient music
Grammy-nominated Jordan Rakei turns travel noise into a meditative soundtrack by sampling everything from baggage belts to jet engines
-
The inimitable Norman Foster: our guide to the visionary architect, shaping the future
Norman Foster has shaped today's London and global architecture like no other in his field; explore his work through our ultimate guide to this most impactful contemporary architect
-
Shard Place offers residents the chance to live in the shadow of London’s tallest building
The 27-storey tower from Renzo Piano Building Workshop joins The Shard and The News Building to complete Shard Quarter, providing a sophisticated setting for renters
-
Kengo Kuma’s ‘Paper Clouds’ in London is a ‘poem’ celebrating washi paper in construction
‘Paper Clouds’, an installation by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, is a poetic design that furthers research into the use of washi paper in construction
-
Foster + Partners to design the national memorial to Queen Elizabeth II
For the Queen Elizabeth II memorial, Foster + Partners designs proposal includes a new bridge, gates, gardens and figurative sculptures in St James’ Park
-
Wolves Lane Centre brings greenery, growing and grass roots together
Wolves Lane Centre, a new, green community hub in north London by Material Cultures and Studio Gil, brings to the fore natural materials and a spirit of togetherness
-
A new London exhibition explores the legacy of Centre Pompidou architect Richard Rogers
‘Richard Rogers: Talking Buildings’ – opening tomorrow at Sir John Soane’s Museum – examines Rogers’ high-tech icons, which proposed a democratic future for architecture
-
At the Royal Academy summer show, architecture and art combine as never before
The Royal Academy summer show is about to open in London; we toured the iconic annual exhibition and spoke to its curator for architecture, Farshid Moussavi
-
This ingenious London office expansion was built in an on-site workshop
New Wave London and Thomas-McBrien Architects make a splash with this glulam extension built in the very studio it sought to transform. Here's how they did it