THE Tropicana was once a buzzing swimming pool on Weston-super-Mare’s sea front before it closed and lay derelict for 15 years. Now street-artist Banksy has brought it back to life with his exhibition Dismaland, but what did it look like in its heyday? See our gallery here...
Sky-high diving boards and fruit-themed slides were some of the popular attractions at the Tropicana.
Several attempts to bring the pool back to life have failed to come to fruition in the past 15 years, but now it has finally reopened to the public as something very different: Banksy’s Dismaland, a ‘bemusement park’ showcasing more than 50 artists from around the world, including Damien Hirst.
In its heyday the former lido would be a hub of activity in the summer months, attracting vast crowds to swim away from the murky waters of Weston’s seafront.
The outdoor swimming pool’s huge fountain has been incorporated in Banksy’s exhibition, but looks vastly different to how it did before the pool closed, in 2000.
The pool’s steps – which were once popular with sun-worshipers – are seen decaying in Banksy’s exhibition.
Dismaland does not shy away from showing the state of the Tropicana, with jagged steps, uneven ground and pools of mud dotted across the site.
To see pictures inside Banksy’s exhibition, click this link.
Want to get tickets? Find out how to here.
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