The Dublin City Lido Campaign has released updated designs and images for a public outdoor swimming pool at George’s Dock, Dublin.

The group have said that they hope to bring a feasibility study to City Council management in the new year.

The new designs and images were created in partnership with outdoor swimming architect Chris Romer-Lee of Studio Octopi and funded through an ongoing GoFundMe campaign.

On Newstalk Breakfast, Dublin City Lido Campaign founder Patrick Earls said the group are proposing “an outstanding outdoor swim facility” that is “easily accessible to the public”.

Design

The pool will be “affordable, inclusive, publicly owned and expertly operated”, according to the campaigner.

“[The lido] would sit in this unique city centre site that's really easily accessible, great transport links,” Mr Earls said.

“It would consist of a heated 50-metre pool and a smaller learner pool, sauna facilities and a plunge pool.

“There'll be a cafe and some community space and changing rooms.

“There's also a great shortage of green space in the north inner city and we're also trying to incorporate some kind of what we're calling water gardens, kind of floating pontoons amongst the kind of facility, with public seating.”

Proposed entrance to the Dublin city lido facility. Image: Studio Octopi.

Mr Earls said the group are trying to “offer something for everyone” and “get the greatest return for this unique site”.

The campaign group have done “a lot of feasibility work”.

“We've got engineers and architects on board and consultancy people have come in,” Mr Earls said.

“We've demonstrated that it's viable operationally.

“It could cover its cost, it could turn a profit.

“It's viable from a design perspective as well and a planning perspective.”

"Intergenerational project"

Mr Earls said the group cannot yet give an “exact figure” on the cost of the facility as they need “publicly procured feasibility” from Dublin City Council.

“It's a changeable kind of number all the time, obviously, you know, with inflation and everything else, but I can tell you it's no different to what a public library would cost,” he said.

“It would be a fantastic intergenerational project, which would have huge benefits, health, social and other for generations to come.”

Proposed Dublin city lido. Image: Studio Octopi.

Mr Earls addressed the issues of anti-social behaviour around George’s Dock.

“There's been serious problems with social cohesion in the inner city and David McRedmond, the CEO of the task force (aimed at rejuvenating Dublin city centre), came out and said that this is the exact example of the type of development and the meaning we need to be creating in the city to change the mood, to change the atmosphere,” he said.

“It's unique in the way that this project could offer something for the locals who have been neglected in terms of amenities and social infrastructure.

“We've engaged a lot with them, and they feel like this is something really cool.”

"Lagging behind"

Data compiled by the Dublin City Lido campaign shows that Dublin is “lagging behind other European cities of comparative size and density” in the provision of municipal outdoor swimming facilities.

“Many cities globally of comparable size such as Helsinki and Copenhagen operate a minimum of three Lidos,” a press release from the group reads.

“Dublin is falling behind even smaller cities from Bristol to Amsterdam which have one and seven Lidos respectively despite lower population density.”

The Dublin City Lido campaign has raised over €13,000 of €20,000 to cover the costs for the new design and images through GoFundMe.

Main image: Proposed lido at George's Dock, Dublin, Image: Studio Octopi