THIS spa, with spectacular views of the Thames, is a bold architectural statement that would surely transform Abingdon’s image as a riverside town.

It combines healthy living, luxury and architectural brilliance.

But look carefully at the architects’ images, which will go on display next week, and you may well find yourself wondering whether they are just too good to be true.

And you would be right, because they form a “theoretical” study by architecture students from Oxford Brookes University, who were asked to come up with a scheme to revitalise Abingdon’s swimming pool.

The open-air pool, which opened in the early 1960s, has been threatened with closure several times.

And Abingdon architects West Waddy ADP thought it would be the perfect site to test the talent of Brookes’ students.

Philip Waddy, a partner with the firm, said: “Last year as part of our firm’s 125th anniversary, we sponsored the urban design master’s students at Brookes, who were asked to undertake a project examining the relationship between Abingdon’s town centre and its riverside.

“Undergraduate students at the School of Architecture have undertaken a design project to create a lido and spa for Abingdon on the site of the open air pool.

“While it is only an academic study, and thus purely theoretical, the results we believe will stun, inspire and perhaps shock people. I think it brings to the party some real vision.”

The ideas will go on display at the Malthouse, 60 East St Helen Street, Abingdon, from Monday until Thursday, next week, from 1-4 pm daily.

One scheme features a lido with an outdoor swimming pool, along with a water feature, fountains and a jacuzzi.

But it will be the plans for a spa that may be seen as the more radical approach. The students say in their briefing document: “The spa will take its cue from swimming as a place for a healthy lifestyle, open throughout the year and with evening use being a primary consideration.

“It has to appeal not just to residents of Abingdon but to a wider radius of people, perhaps even something that attracts visitors to Abingdon for weekend breaks.”