YORK HALL

The York Hall, officially known as York Hall Leisure Centre, is a multi-purpose indoor arena and leisure centre in Bethnal Green, London. The building opened in 1929 and it is most famous as an international boxing venue with the first nights of professional boxing at the hall taking place in the late 1940s. The main hall also hosts concerts and other live events and other facilities also include a local gymnasium and a swimming pool. The building, which was designed by the borough engineer and architect A.E. Darby, was officially opened by the Duke and Duchess of York in 1929. The historic Victorian-style Turkish Bath in the basement was one of the last publicly run examples in the East End of London. In 1972 there were still six Turkish baths, a legacy of the high Jewish population of Russian and Polish origin. This included the traditional suites of Russian and Turkish steam rooms, sauna, relaxation lounge.