Public Bathhouse

Exterior
Potted flowers, scrolled iron benches and tall lamp posts inhabit the narrow island mounds of grass that split the brick-laid street in half, segregating traffic by direction. Here, the herringbone patterned grey bricks pour into a wide footpath cutting a swath through the manicured lawn prefacing the grand, circular structure of the public baths. The presence of flowering annuals masks the scent of horses from the nearby corrals, as the slope of the earth naturally leaves the bathhouse occasionally downwind.

Entrance
The wide double doors of the bath house lead into a spacious circular anteroom. Imitating the exterior architecture, marble arches supported by slender pillars stretch along the wall to the circular disc of the ceiling, with two separate doors tucked between the arches leading into separate areas for men and women.

Men's Bath
Water enters this room via a narrow trough set into the western wall. The water travels into a small square pit, inside which lie several large rocks. The rocks are being heated by some hidden flame, causing a considerable amount of steam to rise as the water passes through the pit. Another trough carries the water from there into a vast enclosed area, forming a heated pool to bathe in. Long marble benches line the enclosure, and smaller marble protrusions jut into the bath to serve as either tables or backrests, as patrons desire.

Women's Bath
Water enters this room via a narrow trough set into the southern wall. The water travels into a small square pit, inside which lie several large rocks. The rocks are being heated by some hidden flame, causing a considerable amount of steam to rise as the water passes through the pit. Another trough carries the water from there into a vast enclosed area, forming a heated pool to bathe in. Long marble benches line the enclosure, and smaller marble protrusions jut into the bath to serve as either tables or backrests, as patrons desire.