The Turkish Bath, Its Design and ConstructionAllsop, Robert Owen
Science
The Turkish Bath, Its Design and Construction
Allsop, Robert Owen
Baths, Turkish
In the generality of modern baths, the frigidarium forms also the
apodyterium. This arrangement is economical of space, and has been
found, in practice, the most convenient for bathers; but there is much
to be said in favour of a separate and distinct cooling room, such as
that at the Camden Town Turkish Baths. Erected from the designs of Mr.
H. H. Bridgman, F.R.I.B.A., these baths are specially noteworthy for
their spacious frigidarium and ample plunge bath. Entering from the
street, a corridor conducts to a short flight of stairs leading to the
office. Adjoining this is an apodyterium, fitted with two ranges of
dressing-boxes, one above the other, a gallery forming the floor of the
upper tier. From hence a short staircase leads to the door of the
tepidarium, at right angles to which is the calidarium. Adjoining the
tepidarium is a combined shampooing and washing room, a door in which
opens into a chamber containing a plunge bath of quite exceptional
dimensions. A staircase leads to the door of the lofty and spacious
cooling room. This is lighted from the top, and contains a fireplace, a
feature usually omitted in cooling rooms, and really superfluous, though
adding greatly to cheerfulness of aspect in the winter. From this
frigidarium the bather can return to his dressing-box by way of a lobby.
Thus he makes a complete round, and does not meet the incoming bathers
on the staircase to the tepidarium.
The latest built elaborate commercial baths in London are those of
Messrs. Nevill in Northumberland Avenue (Fig. 2). They were designed by
Mr. Robert Walker, F.R.I.B.A., and comprise both ladies' and gentlemen's
baths, though, as at the old Pompeian _Balneæ_, the former set are
ungallantly cramped into a very small space. They occupy a corner site,
and the entrance to the gentlemen's bath is formed at the rounded angle.
In the vestibule is the usual cashier's office, and provision for hats
and coats. From the vestibule the combined cooling and dressing room is
entered, after passing the boot room on the left and the refreshment bar
on the right. Between the boot room and the staircase is the
hairdresser's room. Dwarf wooden partitions divide the cooling room. Off
a landing on the staircase are a lavatory and w.c.'s and toilet-table.
The staircase leads to the first floor--where are provided extra
couches--and to the bath rooms in the basement. The first floor is
practically a gallery. In the basement are three hot rooms, the
tepidarium being an elegant apartment elaborately adorned with marbles
and rich faïence. A heated smoking room adjoins the second hot room.
There are in this bath three shampooing rooms--an arrangement conducing
greatly to privacy. A douche room and plunge bath are provided in the
angle of the building. Vaults under the street are utilised as a
laundry, attendants' room, meter room, and engineer's shop, and as
store-rooms.
[Illustration: FIG. 2.
Turkish Baths, Northumberland Avenue, Charing Cross.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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