Waterworld, Wrexham
Leisure centre in Wrexham, Wales / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Waterworld (Welsh: Byd Dŵr), formerly the Wrexham Swimming Baths, is a leisure centre in Wrexham, North Wales. Known for its hyperbolic paraboloid roof, the only roof of its type in Wales,[1] the centre houses a set of swimming pools and a gym. The centre was opened in 1967, with a major refurbishment occurring in the 1990s, being re-opened by Elizabeth II in March 1998 under its current name.
Waterworld Leisure & Activity Centre | |
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Former names | Wrexham Swimming Baths |
Alternative names | Wrexham Waterworld Byd Dŵr Wrecsam (Welsh) |
General information | |
Type | Leisure centre Swimming pool |
Location | Wrexham, Wrexham County Borough, Wales |
Address | Holt Street , Wrexham, LL13 8DH |
Coordinates | 53.047804°N 2.989393°W / 53.047804; -2.989393 |
Current tenants | Freedom Leisure (2016–2026) |
Completed | 1967 |
Opened | May 1970 |
Renovated | 1998 |
Cost | £400,000 (equivalent to £6,582,410 in 2021) |
Design and construction | |
Architect(s) | F. D. Williamson |
Website | |
www |
Due to the difficult and high maintenance costs of the roof, the building was proposed to be demolished before its 1998 refurbishment and again in the 2010s as part of a council reorganisation and cost-saving measure of leisure services in Wrexham County Borough. Under these newer proposals, Waterworld was proposed to be replaced by a new facility somewhere in Wrexham city centre. The plans were abandoned in 2015 due to funding concerns, and the centre was instead transferred to a trust, Freedom Leisure, in 2016 for ten years. Since being transferred to a trust, a petition was launched to reinstate the centre's unofficial mascot, a green inflatable alien.
The centre houses multiple pools, a lazy river, water slide, and a bubble pool, as well as a large viewing terrace. It houses a gym, Costa Cafe and spaces for other activities.