Create London surprises us with another innovative project. They commissioned Something & Son to create a unique spa space in Barking. Focusing on wellbeing, The Barking Bathhouse will experiment in the latest design, health and beauty ideas to help people feel happy and relaxed.

The new bathhouse is inspired by the spirit of Barking’s former Bathhouse, which, before closing in 1986 after 87 years of operation, catered for the health of thousands of local people and even hosted events, dinners and dances until the 1960s. Bringing together these practises, The Barking Bathhouse aims to offer the ultimate indulgence. They will be combining ultra healthy treatments and massages with cocktails bursting with vitamins and relaxation with socialising.

Andrew Merritt of Something & Son: “Ideally relaxation should be an everyday experience and we wanted to design a space that can increase happiness and explore ideas of relaxation in an urban context. The juxtaposition of traditional spa techniques and the industrial setting will create a raw but very human space.”

Paul Smyth of Something & Son: “When you travel the world, some of the best, most memorable experiences can happen in a simple massage hut or bathhouse. And many other cultures see visits to a bathhouse as an essential way to de-stress or spend time with others. We hope to recreate that unpretentious but effective philosophy at the Barking Bathhouse.”

Barking Bathhouse

July 27th – Sept 16th 2012

Axe Street, Barking & Dagenham, London, IG11 7LX