THE restoration of Ashton Old Baths into a state-of-the-art digital hub has been shortlisted for the prestigious Historic England Angel Awards in the category of ‘Best Rescue of a Heritage Site’.
Recognising the efforts of those who have saved historic buildings and championed local heritage – Ashton Old Baths is one of only four buildings to be shortlisted.
With a clear complementary distinction between the old and new, the exterior of the building was conserved and repaired to create an external envelope true to its heritage, while the modern, self-contained, internal pod structure will provide office space for the digital sector.
Cllr Jim Fitzpatrick, Tameside Council’s First Deputy who chaired the project board to renovate the building, said: “Ashton Old Baths is a magnificent building and it’s a fantastic achievement just to be shortlisted for this award.
Just as it was an innovative move to build the public baths in the 1870’s, we have now seen a project equally as innovative to bring the building back into use, making it work for the 21st Century.”
This adds to the tally of prestigious prizes the project has been shortlisted for – making the last 11 in the Architects’ Journal Retrofit Awards and the final five in the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce Building of the Year.
The Winner of the Historic Angel Award will be announced at an awards ceremony in October. There will be an additional award on the night for the public’s favourite – we are encouraging everyone to get behind Ashton Old Baths by voting for the historic landmark here.
