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A New Skin for The Plunge
February 2016
By Ann Jarmusch
 The Plunge is in the news again, and once again the reason is preservation. The recently proposed replacement of the building in Belmont Park (Mission Beach) that houses the Plunge pool has become a popular topic among San Diegans (Reader article link). Once the largest salt-water pool in the world, the original 1920s Plunge building was designed by Frederick Clemeshaw, a British architect. During the 1980s, SOHO attempted to save all of Belmont Park; however, only the pool itself and the roller coaster were designated historic landmarks at that time.
The building was closed in February 2014 due to serious corrosion of the original iron frame, a consequence of exposure to the ocean air and the pool's chlorination. The new building, or skin, will have the same height and footprint as the current building and be primarily composed of glass, with a retractable roof. Although the 1920s frame will soon be lost, the use of glass in the new building design allows the Plunge itself to be highly visible. In addition, the pool will be brought up to current codes and the historic Batchelder tile that was removed from the pool will be replicated and appropriately replaced. Further mitigation identified by SOHO and mandated by the City's Historical Resources Board staff requires the contractor to place three Spanish Renaissance-style arches, replicated from the original buildings, in front of the entrances to the new building.
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