62
the World Of Hospitality
Gainsborough Bath Spa
The Gainsborough Bath Spa –
A First In Hotel Spa Design
Ancient tradition and contemporary luxury
combine to create a unique hotel thermal spa
experience
From the original thermal baths of Roman times to
Georgian society’s ‘taking the waters’, the city of Bath
has long been associated with the restorative powers
of its natural springs. Drawing on this rich heritage,
the new Gainsborough Bath Spa, situated above the
remains of ancient Roman Baths, is the first UK hotel
to offer a natural thermal spa.
In 2006 EPR was selected to convert a disused block in
the heart of the historic city of Bath into a 99-bedroom
five-star luxury spa hotel. As project architect, Claire
Truman explains, “The listed nature of the building
and its location in the world heritage site offered
a distinctive starting point and inspiration for its
re-use as a spa hotel – it was an opportunity to create
something genuinely unique.”
Developing a site with such a rich history brought
its own challenges to the project, not least the fact
that excavation work was severely restricted by the
remains of Roman Baths beneath. This demanded
an innovative design solution for the sub-structure,
particularly to the lifts and pool area, the latter of
which stands directly above an original Roman
mosaic. In homage to this, a replica mosaic was
commissioned which now forms a stunning focal
point in the hotel spa.
Further inspired by the site’s Roman legacy, the spa
is centred around a two-storey glass atrium which
encloses the pool to create an internal courtyard filled
with natural daylight. The spa facilities include eleven
treatment rooms, saunas, a steam room, ice chamber,
fitness centre, and – uniquely – a series of natural
thermal water pools, each set at a slightly different
temperature to enable a genuine Roman bathing
experience.
The hotel itself is the product of a complex conversion
from five Grade II listed buildings, including
renowned nineteenth-century architect John Pinch’s
United Hospital building, until recently the home
of Bath’s Technical College. Unifying the different
buildings, each with their own levels, and converting
them within the planning height constraints
demanded a creative solution in order to deliver the
desired number of bedrooms and associated facilities.
As well as the conversion, EPR also designed a portion
of new build which served both to link the buildings
together – including an underground link to the
14-bedroom hotel annexe – and to rejuvenate the
perimeter. The external design was further enhanced
through new stepped terraces to Bilbury Lane,
publically accessible roofs and a sympathetic external
lighting scheme whereby the feature lighting is limited
to the hotel’s key architectural elements.