Join journalist and architectural historian Christopher Beanland at Lidofest 2021 for a talk and reading from his book Lido, followed by a Q&A.

Few experiences can beat diving into a pool in the fresh air, swimming with blue skies above you. Whether it’s a dip into a busy and bustling city pool on a sweltering summer day, or taking the plunge in icy waters, the lido provides a place of peace in a frenetic world.

Lido: A dip into outdoor swimming pools: the history, design and people behind them is Christopher Beanland’s celebration of outdoor swimming – looking at the history, design and social aspect of pools. He’ll take you a tour of the very best of the outdoor pools around the world, including the Icebergs Pool on Bondi Beach, Australia; the 137m seawater pool in Vancouver, Canada; Siza’s concrete sea pools in Porto, Portugal; the restored art deco pool in Saltdean, UK, and the pool at the Zollverein Coal Mines in Essen, Germany.

Along the way, he explores lost lidos and the fascinating history behind the architecture of the pools, along with an essay on swimming pools in art. A keen swimmer himself, Christopher interviews other pool users around the globe about why they swim. The book is illustrated throughout with beautiful colour photography.

Christopher brings the book to life in this Story Room talk at Lidofest, held at the Charlton Lido and Lifestyle Club in south east London. The talk will be followed by a Q&A and book signing.

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

 

Christopher Beanland is a journalist and author who specialises in architecture and travel writing. He is the author of Unbuilt: Radical Visions of a Future that Never Arrived (Batsford, September 2021), Concrete Concept: Brutalist buildings around the world and writes regularly for The Guardian, The Independent, The Telegraph and Mr Porter.
 

ABOUT LIDOFEST

 

Lidofest is the UK’s first ever festival at a lido and is a celebration of all things lido and swimming related. Check out the full 2021 lineup here.

When: Saturday 21 August, Talk starts at 3.45pm (Lidofest runs from 12.30–19.00)
Where: Charlton Lido & Lifestyle Club, London
Tickets: Adult tickets for Lidofest are £30, children £5 and can be purchased here