On September 8, the architectural collective Assemble inaugurated its latest project, the transformation of an old public swimming pool into a new art center for Goldsmiths College at Laurie Grove, New Cross, in South London.
"Our aim has been to create a welcoming and theatrical center which connects the public to the bathhouse's past, and to its future - as a space of artistic production and exploration," said Paloma Strelitz of Assemble.
The new Goldsmiths Center for Contemporary Art, initially known as the "baths" of the Laurie Grove Baths, is characterized by its industrial spaces with grade II protection, which with the transformation, now houses seven new gallery spaces, a cafeteria, a studio for commissaries and a space for events, distributed in more than 1,000 square meters. Now open, it's called Goldsmiths Center for Contemporary Art.
The tiled Victorian bathing halls, which are currently used by Goldsmiths students as art studios, can be seen from a new central balcony.
"Given the relatively modest scale of the building in comparison to many other contemporary galleries, we wanted to capitalise on the potential for creating an art centre which offers great variety. The design offers a series of very diverse and distinctive rooms for display – contrasting qualities of light, varying proportions, different levels of finish, a range of environmental qualities. We hope that this array of spaces will offer a unique and challenging experience for both exhibiting artists and visitors alike." said Adam Willis of Assemble.
The Gallery comprises the former water tanks and service areas of the Baths. Assemble’s approach seeks to identify this ‘hidden’ aspect of Lewisham’s social history by opening up these traditional ‘back-of-house’ spaces to create a new interface with the public. The raw and robust nature of the Victorian service spaces has a powerful quality. The gallery has been moulded from these found conditions, creating an ensemble of rooms able to host a diverse and challenging artistic programme.
The Bath’s cast iron water tanks have been preserved and made accessible, whilst new top-lit galleries have been created to provide a distinct spatial counterpoint: a new whole, comprised of found spaces, adapted spaces and inserted spaces.
Working through hands-on experimentation and large-scale prototypes, Assemble created a number of bespoke architectural elements for Goldsmiths CCA which combine industrial materials with a handmade approach. The new clerestory and lantern galleries are clad in an undulous turquoise concrete facade echoing the ceramic tiles found within the Victorian baths. Assemble developed this cladding by re-articulating corrugated cement board, more commonly used for the roofs of industrial sheds. This approach is seen throughout the gallery spaces, such as the timber panelling in the cast iron tanks, dyed deep indigo from a ‘home-brew’ iron acetate stain. Handmade concrete and ceramic architectural elements cast in Assemble’s workshop at Sugarhouse Studios add to the tactile quality of the industrial spaces.
Designed by architect Thomas Dinwiddy, the Laurie Grove Baths building was constructed between 1895 and 1898, and was heritage-listed in 1991. As the building is located on the campus for Goldsmiths, University of London, near New Cross Road in Lewisham, the college acquired it in 1999, after the baths were closed to the public. After that the spaces were used as studios and teaching rooms.
The centre opened to the public on 8 September 2018 with a solo exhibition by New York-based artist Mika Rottenberg. It will function as a cultural resource for students, artists and the wider public, offering a diverse programme focused on exhibitions, events and education.
Assemble were commissioned by Goldsmiths, University of London, to create a new public art gallery in 2014, following an open architectural competition. The project was realised in collaboration with engineering specialists Alan Baxter Associates and Max Fordham Engineers.
