Campaigners for a heated outdoor swimming pool at the site of Dublin City Council’s ill-fated whitewater rafting course proposal have released conceptual images to visualise how it could transform the Docklands area.
Last year the two doctors behind the plans garnered more than 4,000 signatures backing their concept for the outdoor pool.
They’ve since teamed up with architects at lido specialists Studio Octopi, who provided the artist’s impressions of what the George’s Dock Lido could look like.
“We believe these images confirm the wonderful opportunity that exists for the people of Dublin to enjoy a world-class swimming facility at this publicly owned historic site,” the George’s Dock Lido Campaign says.
We're delighted to announce the release of our conceptual images of what a 100% public swimming facility could look like at George's Dock. Providing something for all citizens. The images created by @StudioOctopi demonstrate the ambition we should have for this public site. pic.twitter.com/ftOWjXspSx
— GeorgesDockLido, Dublin (@GeorgesDockLido) November 30, 2022
Their concept comprises a 50-metre Olympic-sized swimming pool, heated for use in all seasons, with a smaller “learning pool” and a diving pool with boards and platforms.
The design also features a building to include saunas, community function rooms, a restaurant, café and viewing gallery as well as “water gardens” with public seating and performance areas.
And the campaign says that sustainability is central to their concept, as the lido could be heated with water from the Ringsend incinerator via the Dublin District Heating System.
The campaign has also hit back at counter-proposal for the site that would split it between a public pool and a training area for emergency services, arguing that such a facility “would be unused for much of the year”.
