Chris Romer-Lee

Thames Baths

Campaigning for swim sites in London’s waterways

Sometimes the best ideas start small. This one began with a tweet and a swim in a Swiss lake. The Royal Academy of Arts and Architecture Foundation put out an open call for ideas exploring how the tidal Thames could be harnessed for a better future; immersed in Lake Zürich. I could think of no better way to use my home city’s greatest natural asset than for swimming. Clearly others agreed, as we soon raised £142,000 for the project on Kickstarter. The idea was for a series of swim sites – some floating – along the riverfront.

Leading the hunt for potential sites and funding partners, I worked with Barking Riverside and Battersea Power Station, and explored other locations along the Thames including Tate Modern and Victoria Embankment. Along the way I developed a strong bank of evidence advocating why such a pool is necessary for London. And gradually the project became the focus of a wider campaign, which is now focused on the non-tidal Thames and the Royal Docks in response to the Mayor of London’s Swimmable Rivers initiative.

Along the way I’ve not only improved my technical know-how but also taken a leadership role, acting as a spokesperson for the scheme and giving evidence to the London Assembly in 2025 in support of its Swimmable Rivers policy work. The Thames Baths project has also led to other floating pool proposals both close to home (Belfast Harbour) and internationally (Yarra Pools in Australia).

You can read more about the project here: Studio Octopi | Thames Baths