Despite being announced in 2022, plans for a new sauna and swimming pool project in Cardiff Bay have seen very little movement. The Finnish company behind the project has plans to build similar projects in New York, Stockholm and other Nordic countries, but so far only have their flagship in Helsinki.
00:00It's been years since it was announced, but there's still no visible progress on a bold plan to turn one of Cardiff Bay's historic dock sites into a year-round outdoor swimming pool and sauna complex.
00:11First revealed in December 2022, the vision for Mount Stewart Graving Docks promised heated and unheated floating pools, saunas, changing rooms, and even a restaurant and bar, all inspired by Nordic bathing culture.
00:22The Finnish company behind the scheme, Nordic Urban, already runs a similar attraction in Helsinki and has ambitions for other major cities from Stockholm to New York.
00:31In April last year, they insisted the Cardiff project would go ahead, saying they were finalising contracts and refining the design.
00:38But more than a year on, there's still no planning application with Cardiff Council, and the company hasn't provided a fresh update.
00:44According to the developers, the floating pool would use either natural water from the docks or heated tap water, with both cleaned using advanced filtration systems to keep them safe and clear all year round.
00:55The council has already given in-principle approval to lease the land to Nordic Urban.
00:59On its website, the firm says it wants to breathe life into the currently underused dock, with water-based experiences all year round, outdoor seating, event spaces, wellness programmes, and access to water sports.
01:11The Mount Stewart docks have a long maritime history, once part of the Mount Stewart shipbuilding yard, and have been permanently filled with water since Cardiff Bay Barrage was completed in 2001.
01:22If the swimming and sauna complex is built, it will join a wave of redevelopment down the bay, from the new 15,000 capacity indoor arena that's currently under construction, to hotels, offices, a museum, and new homes.
01:33And now though, Mount Stewart grave in docks remains unchanged, and residents will have to wait to see if this ambitious vision ever makes the leap from paper to pool.
Be the first to comment