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Spa Experience has reopened its branch within Islington’s Ironmonger Row Baths after a two-year closure.
The closure came about as the result of a fire that ravaged the grade II listed building in 2022.

A comprehensive programme of renovation has created a new 950sqm spa with five treatment rooms and fully restored thermal facilities. Facilities include salt and juniper saunas, two steam rooms, an ice room, a cold plunge pool and feature showers, all designed and installed by Sauna360 UK.

They also supplied comprehensive Turkish hammam facilities, including couple’s wet hammam treatment space, a relaxation lounge and new changing rooms.

The thermal baths were first introduced in the Victorian Era and the brief was to embrace the heritage of the building whilst introducing modern thermal experiences and treatments.
Sauna 360 worked with Spa Experience, part of Greenwich Leisure Limited, a charitable social enterprise, to deliver luxurious thermal facilities which are accessible to all.

The thermal area which is split between a Contemporary Zone and a Traditional Zone is the vision of Peter Mitchell, Spa and Wellness Designer for Sauna360.

The original Ironmonger Row Baths was built in the 1930s with a swimming pool and old-style bathing house with hot rooms and cold plunge in the basement.

Focused on creating a feeling of space and relaxation, Sauna360 has used giant full-height tiles and longitudinal floor tiles to draw the eye to the glass-fronted sauna.

In the contemporary zone there are two large saunas. The Juniper Sauna uses Infrared treatment and benefits from the natural spicy aroma of juniper logs while in the Salt Sauna there is a large feature wall using Himalayan Salt bricks.

This is complemented by an Aroma Steam Room which uses seasonally changing essence and a Salt infused Steam Room which provides the added respiratory benefits of Salt Inhalation.

The area is topped off with tropical feature showers and an ice room.

The Traditional Zone boasts a series of interlinked hot rooms in large ceramics, with increasing temperature as guests move further into the space.

Outside the hot rooms, are a drench bucket, cleansing shower and plunge pool which includes an innovative heat recovery system to reuse heat removed from the plunge pool elsewhere in the learner swimming pool.

The Sauna360 Wellness Concept was used in all thermal rooms, allowing effective air flow and enhancing the bather experience.

“We understood the previous operational difficulties with this site and we had the opportunity to address these in so many ways,” explains Jeff Le Clos, senior commercial manager at Sauna360.

“We have transformed the area, creating a feeling of space and relaxation. Longevity was a leading motivation, to ensure products and finishes allow for effective maintenance and reduced wear and tear.

“The variety of thermal facilities offers a full selection of hot and cold wellness applications, flowing though the spa. The use of printed graphic glass flows through the facility bringing the outside in and creating a spacious, fresh feeling despite it being a basement spa.”

“The number of thermal facilities on offer at IRB is very rare for a central London leisure centre. Our focus was to redesign the space into an upmarket, attractive London spa open to all. The project is driven by our ECO-SAUNA energy saving concepts – reusable heat, less waste and capturing this waste to use elsewhere in the building.”

Jeff Le Clos Senior Commercial Manager, Sauna360 UK