Saltdean Lido, a 1930s icon, has been restored to its former glory. With major grants from The National Lottery Heritage Fund and Historic England – supported by years of additional fundraising by the local community and £2.5m from Brighton & Hove City Council – the £8m restoration project is now complete.
Saltdean Lido Community Interest Company reopened the main pool in 2017 to great acclaim. Now the formerly dilapidated Grade II* building has been restored and refurbished so that the lido complex functions as whole again.
The restored site includes a poolside café, library, Art Deco ballroom, gym, co-working facilities, community rooms and heritage and learning space which tells the story of Saltdean Lido’s unique social history and celebrates its role in the golden age of the lido movement.
Three Winning Facts:
- The Lido represents the culmination of a dream to save an iconic building and a community resource from disappearing forever. This is a unique building regarded as one of the best serving examples of lido design in the UK – one of the Seven Wonders of the English Seaside.
- Saltdean Lido has been rescued by the people for the people. The project has been driven by an army of volunteers and fundraisers. Saved from redevelopment into flats it has been reimagined as a year-round destination with everything from swimming dogs to yoga to saunas.
- The building was in such a devastating condition the restoration required extensive collaboration, innovation and expertise from the construction team.
