Bath Fire Station
Just published - a 24 page tabloid with a selection of photos and accompanying text of my favourite brutalist buildings in Bristol.
Bath Fire Station, on Bathwick Street, was designed by architect Molly Taylor and opened in 1939, just in time to put out the fires of the Baedeker Raids of 1942.
There are few modernist buildings of distinction in Georgian Bath, and it's a rare example of a female architect designing any building, particularly such a prominent one, in the pre-war era. Given this architectural significance, it's disappointing that this fire station is scheduled for demolition later this year. The 20th Century Society argued it should be saved and applied for it to be listed iearlier this year (2025).
These exhibition boards explaining why it will be demolished and have been summarised by Claude:
“The existing station has serious problems. Modern fire engines barely fit through the narrow openings and constantly scrape the building sides. The structure shows signs of instability with ongoing movement and cracking. Energy costs are high - the station uses 25% of the entire fire service's annual energy. There's no outdoor space for breaks and office areas are too small.
The new station will feature six appliance bays instead of the current cramped arrangement. A key focus is contamination control - "firefighters are more than 6 times more likely to contract certain illnesses such as cancer" as stated in the exhibition materials. The design separates dirty, possibly contaminated and clean zones to protect crew health.
Construction should start in winter 2025 after planning approval. The station sits within Bath's UNESCO World Heritage Site and conservation area.”
