New Goldsmiths art gallery for New Cross
Only five minutes down the road and I hadn’t heard a thing about this. But now that I have, I’m delighted. Goldsmiths art college has settled on an architect to build a gallery, showing both students’ work and that of established international artists, on its New Cross campus. Horray.
I’ve lived adjacent to New Cross – first in Peckham, now in Lewisham – for around 15 years. In all that time the place has hardly changed at all. The mighty nightclub The Venue – ‘nurses get in free’ – is still there. There still isn’t a bank. Recently new businesses catering to students have opened and finally a few of the derelict houses in terraces along the main road are being done up.
As discussed in relation to next-door Deptford on the blog last week, gentrification is not necessarily positive for all, and I’d hate to see the scuzzy, student-focused character of New Cross disappear. But I do love the idea of a destination gallery appearing at the end of the wonderful ‘Ken Livingston’ tube line.
The scheme is being built behind the Laurie Grove Baths, New Cross’s grand Victorian swimming pool. The pool, like much else in New Cross, is owned by Goldsmiths. I went there a few years ago to see the Graduate Art Show, the now-dry pool and its surrounding changing booths transformed into pods for each student to exhibit in.
The new gallery will incorporate the black, boxy water tanks that used to serve the pool. Architects Assemble won the gig after a competition judged by David Chipperfield – the architect behind Margate’s Turner Contemporary – and locally-based sculptor Anthony Gormley.
Having seen the pictures of Laurie Grove swimming pools it brings back memories when I attended Waller Road school. I swam in many galas and received cups and medals for my achievements also for Wallbutton Road school now known as Samuel Pepys. These memories shall always be with me as wonderful times in my childhood. I also remember the bad times of the war, Woolworth being bombed you understand the rest.
At the age of 77 years I now live in Germany with my young wife who is a teacher. October 30th. we shall be visiting South East London to reminisce my birth place in Lewisham Hospital and of course the schools I attended, probably with a tear in my eyes.
Thank you for reading this text
Yours sincerely
Clive Warren Cottle
Thanks for taking time to comment Clive – glad the post brought back memories. I hope you enjoy your visit – the area around the baths, town hall and all, is relatively unchanged. Best wishes x
Spent many hours in the pools at Laurie Grove – first when I lived in Azalea House, Achilles Street and then training there as Captain of New Triton Swimming Club. I only have to see a picture and I can almost smell the chlorine…… fine memories indeed
Have just been watching BBC Breakfast, this morning and Camberwell swimming pool was shown. This made me look up on my iPad what had happened to Laurie Grove Pool.
I lived in Pecham Police Station as a child and was taken by my father to the pool and learnt to swim there. So seeing that the ‘pool’ is being used in another guise and still ‘alive’ was very nostalgic for me.
Yes, I remember the Laurie Grove Swimming Baths – wonderful! I think it is a tragedy that it has been lost and, looking at the spaces, and derelict buildings in the area, wonder if there was not an aternative for creating an art display.