Trenton Bath House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Trenton Jewish Community Center Bath House and Day Camp
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Outside wall and interior skylight
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 Location in Mercer County, New Jersey
Location in New Jersey
Location in the United States
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| Location | 999 Lower Ferry Rd., Ewing, New Jersey |
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| Area | 8.7 acres (3.5 ha) |
| Built | 1955 |
| Architect | Louis Kahn |
| NRHP reference No. | 84002730 |
| Added to NRHP | February 23, 1984 |
The Trenton Bath House is a very important building designed by the famous architect Louis Kahn. He worked with another great architect, Anne Tyng, on this project. You can find it at 999 Lower Ferry Road in Ewing Township, Mercer County, New Jersey, USA. This building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. This means it's recognized as a special historical place.
Even though it's called the "Trenton Bath House," it's not actually in Trenton, New Jersey. It's also not a public bath house for bathing. Instead, it was built as part of a bigger plan for the Jewish Community Center of the Delaware Valley. This larger plan was never fully built.
The "bath house" opened in 1955. It was used as the entrance and changing area for people using an outdoor swimming pool.
What Makes the Design Special?
From the outside, the bath house looks simple. It's shaped like a cruciform, which means it has four square rooms. These rooms are made of concrete block. They surround an open space in the middle called an atrium.
Each of the rooms has a simple, wooden rectangular pyramid on top. At the corner of each room, there's a large, open rectangular column. These columns help hold up the roof.
Kahn's Idea of Spaces
When you look closer, you see how smart the design is. Louis Kahn thought a lot about how different parts of a building are used. He came up with an idea called "spaces serving and spaces served." This means some spaces are for main activities (served spaces). Other spaces are for things like hallways or storage (serving spaces). The Trenton Bath House was the first place he showed this idea clearly.
Kahn often said this building changed how he thought about design. He felt it gave him new ideas for every building he made after it.
Protecting the Bath House
On August 10, 2006, Mercer County and Ewing Township bought the bath house. They bought it from the Jewish Community Center for $8.1 million. They used money from a special fund to protect open spaces.
This purchase helps make sure the historic building will be kept safe. Ewing Township plans to use the main Jewish Community Center building as a place for senior citizens. The Jewish Community Center had planned to move to a new location. However, they ran out of money for their new building.
Model
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Masonry and Roof Volumes
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Masonry and Roof Volumes
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Roof Structure Volume
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Oculus
