Round About Baths: Transforming a Traffic Island into a Public Urban Bathhouse

Reimagining Forgotten Urban Spaces

In the bustling heart of Logroño, Spain, Round About Baths by Leopold Banchini Architects redefines what public space can be. Once a neglected traffic island encircling a disused fountain, this temporary installation turns an inaccessible roundabout into an intimate, communal bathhouse — a place where people gather, undress, and immerse themselves in water at the center of relentless urban motion.

The project challenges the dominance of cars in city centers, reclaiming a space designed for vehicles and transforming it into a human-centered environment. The installation is part of a broader conversation about rethinking public infrastructure, revealing the hidden potential of spaces that are often overlooked.

The Revival of Public Bath Culture

Public baths have a long and storied history, once serving as social hubs and essential facilities for urban hygiene in the 19th century. Over time, these communal facilities faded from cities, replaced by private spas and commercial wellness centers — reflecting a shift toward privatized leisure. Round About Baths rekindles that heritage, offering a free and accessible space for citizens to enjoy together.

This intervention not only restores the tradition of shared bathing but also disrupts the commercialization of wellness, proposing an alternative that is both inclusive and temporary, yet impactful.

Architectural Design and Materiality

The structure integrates changing rooms, steam rooms, and cold-water basins, balancing privacy with openness. The high enclosing walls are built from a regular timber framework clad with uncut wooden panels, creating a natural, textured aesthetic that contrasts with the hard urban surroundings. These panels are intended for reuse after the festival, aligning with sustainable and circular design principles.

By temporarily occupying a high-traffic space, the architects provoke dialogue on how our cities allocate space and who they are designed to serve. The project asks: if a roundabout can become a bathhouse, what else can be reimagined?

A Temporary Transformation with Lasting Impact

When the festival ends, the panels will find new life in other constructions, and the roundabout will return to its previous state — a forgotten island in the midst of traffic. Yet, for those who experienced it, the memory remains: a reminder that urban space can be reclaimed, redefined, and made personal again.

Through Round About Baths, Leopold Banchini Architects demonstrate that even the most impersonal and car-dominated spaces can be transformed into vibrant centers of human connection, if only temporarily. The installation challenges us to rethink the design of our cities, inspiring visions of a more people-centered urban future.

All the photographs are works of Gregori Civera