Tuesday 13 February 2024

Blue Baths 1933

 

The Blue Baths is in Rotorua and was opened in 1933 with the aim for the building to promote the town for it's geothermal qualities. When the town was founded in the 1880s the goal became to show people how tourism could grow. The building above shows it's affinity with the art deco era with it's curves and rounded windows. 



The pools inside offered mixed men and women bathing together facilities which would've been scandalous back then. When we were there a few years ago it was closed sadly as I would've liked to have taken photos of the interior. The water in the pools is apparently taken directly from the geothermal piping in Rotorua so I could imagine it being quite hot.

Tea rooms above the blue baths February 1965, G. Riethmaier, National Publicity Studios

Photo from 1936, Auckland Weekly News, Kura Heritage Collections Online.



10 comments:

magiceye said...

It's beautiful!

roentare said...

Looks like a good place to visit

NCSue said...

I like the tea room and the art deco exterior. And isn't the bathing garb for women a step back in time!
Thanks for sharing at https://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2024/02/le-hostellerie-des-trois-pigeons.html

local alien said...

This brings back memories. We went swimming there quite a few times. There were aleays lots of kids ... and us. A fun outing

Tom said...

...a classy building from the past.

Iris Flavia said...

To scandals, I'd say! I went to school in a town called Bad (Bath) Harzburg, for the same reasons. They were to get rid of the "Bad" when the wall fell as the East-German cars (Trabis) came in masses and polluted the city!

Lydia C. Lee said...

Lovely building - I guess an indoor geothermal pool is used in #Allseasons?

Rudbekia said...

Very interesting bulding.

Rudbekia said...

Very interesting bulding

Kenneth Cole Schneider said...

how trends (and bathing attire) have changed

Overcast

  Another example of beachside apartments, these ones though are in Paihia along the waterfront - you literally cross the road to get to the...