Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Edinburgh Live
Edinburgh Live
World
Abbie Meehan

Legendary Edinburgh outdoor pool brought back to life in 3D by digital artist

An Edinburgh-born artist has created a concept design for Portobello's legendary open-air pool, showing what it would look like if it had remained open to present day.

Artist Michael Lennie, who has since moved to warmer climes in Australia, has created prints of the Portobello Pool, stating that he visited the pool many times as a child.

The open-air pool in Edinburgh first opened its doors on May 30, 1936 - at a cost of £90,000. In its first season, it attracted thousands of excited locals ready to enjoy the summer with some splashing good fun.

Most popular in the 1950s and 60s, locals and holiday makers flocked to enjoy the famous heated pool and Scotland’s first electric wave generator.

READ MORE: These 31 retro Edinburgh signs that will give you a serious nostalgia overload

The nearby coal power station provided filtered sea water heated to 20 degrees, allowing the pool to open from May to September.

Contemporary accounts attest the water was icy cold. Mimicking sea-breakers the artificial wave machine generated waves up to one metre every half hour.

Safety ropes were installed to aid non-swimmers swept off their feet when the waves reached the shallow end.

However, by the late 1970s the pool's popularity was on the slide, due to weather and the invention of cheap package holidays meaning that people could travel to hotter countries for less.

The 1979 season turned out to be the last and demolition was approved in 1988. This didn't stop local artist Michael Lennie from imagining up what the pool would look like in modern day.

The diving boards and slides are a real modern twist on the once-famous pool. (Michael Lennie)

The architectural illustrator built a 3D model from researching construction drawings and historical photographs to render a series of views of the Portobello Pool and Pavilion.

The fresh and modern looking pool includes a diving board with three heights to choose from, and a Greek-style centre for changing and various other leisurely activities.

Sign up to our Edinburgh Live nostalgia newsletters for more local history and heritage content straight to your inbox

In lettering under the beautiful clock face, the words 'Bathers', 'Snacks' and 'Bar' all appear - to illustrate that the newly-created Portobello Pool centre would host all of these wonderful things within.

Also included in the design are two sleek slides, perfect for kids who want to feel the exhiliration of hitting the water without the fear of the diving board worrying their parents.

What a sight - would you want to see this come to life? (Michael Lennie)

These amazing designs are available as prints on Michael's website, alongside his other intricate work.

You can check those out here on Michael's website, where he not only showcases classic illustration but modern animation as well.

READ NEXT:

Edinburgh's first TGI Fridays was like nothing capital diners had ever seen before

These 31 retro Edinburgh signs that will give you a serious nostalgia overload

Amazing Edinburgh image captures city centre street as it was 60 years ago

These 24 Edinburgh photos will transport you right back to the 1990s

The short-lived Edinburgh superclub that closed down in a haze of violence

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.