Finnish waterfront developer Nordic Urban has revealed plans for a £17 million bathing and sauna complex in Cardiff, Wales.
The company will submit a planning application with Cardiff Council in October to turn Cardiff Bay's Grade II-listed Mount Stuart Graving Docks into a year-round wellness destination.
Disused for decades, the dry docks will be brought back into public use as a 2,000-square-metre facility called Allas Cardiff, built around a 25-metre heated outdoor swimming pool
Alongside the main pool, there will be hot and cold pools, four saunas, changing and relaxation facilities, a restaurant and cafe, and outdoor terraces looking out over the water.
Finnish developer Nordic Urban plans to establish at least five wellness destinations across the UK and IrelandOopeaa
Raoul Grünstein, CEO of Nordic Urban, said: "Cardiff Bay has one of the most striking industrial waterfronts anywhere in Britain, and these docks have stood empty for decades.
"Our plan keeps the dock and its structures intact and puts them back into everyday use for local people to enjoy.”
“Our aim is to play a role in revitalising the waterfront and create a development where people can swim, sit in a sauna, eat and meet by the water, open all year and open to everyone," he added.
The project's concept architect is Finnish practice Oopeaa, while the landscape architect is UK-based Gross.Max. Specialist sports and leisure architects Space & Place will lead the delivery phase.
Alongside its Cardiff site, Nordic Urban plans to establish at least five wellness destinations across the UK and Ireland, and has more projects in development in the Nordic region and the Baltics.
Allas Cardiff is based on Nordic Urban's concept created and established in central HelsinkiOopeaa
A pre-application consultation on the Allas Cardiff proposals opened this week. It closes on 13 October, and responses will be reported to Cardiff Council as part of the planning application.
Allas Cardiff is based on Nordic Urban's concept created and established in central Helsinki, where the original Allas Pool Helsinki opened in 2017 and now attracts around 800,000 visitors a year.
Per a press release, the attraction is one of Helsinki's most popular wellbeing destinations, and has become a template for making industrial waterfronts accessible to the public.
