Holmes consulted on Tepid Baths

18/04/2010

An Auckland landmark is closing its doors in preparation for major structural repair work.

The Tepid Baths in the central city are in desperate need of repair, and engineers have warned the building could collapse if left any longer.

The $12 million project is expected to take two years.

The cracks are showing and the foundations are crumbling and engineers say elements of the roof could fall in. Even the walls aren't in great shape.

The deterioration is of serious concern amid fears it could collapse under the weight of a large crowd.

"It's like going in for a hip replacement," structural and civil engineer Chris MacKenzie says.

And at almost 100 years old, it is a prized piece of Auckland's heritage that must be protected.

"You can't just go in willy nilly and throw bits and pieces all over the place, you have to be considerate of the heritage fabric...the repairs need to be done in a sympathetic manner, you don't want to destroy the beautiful building you are trying to preserve," says MacKenzie.

Swimming commentator Mark Watson says they want to have people swimming there for the next 100 years. "It's the oldest pool in the country and it's an icon," he says.

The former iron-man and swimming commentator did much of his training at the baths.

"As an athlete trying to chase the triathlon dream back in the '90s...this was the facility that I learnt how to swim at a relatively high level."

But it's not just for elite swimmers. The facility serves everyone from surgeons through to bricklayers.

A council meeting will be held next week to determine whether parts of the centre can be reopened during the refurbishment, but the engineers say there's no guarantee it will be safe.

The original piece and video can be viewed on the TVNZ website.