King’s Ely – New Sports Hall and Swimming Pool Complex
GSS were appointed as Architects to design a new sports hall and swimming pool complex for King’s Ely.
The scheme is a new build sports centre with an 8 court sports hall, 25m swimming pool, fitness suite, climbing wall, café, classrooms and associated changing facilities. The building will be located on the edge of the town’s conservation area, with views out to open countryside and back to the cathedral. As part of a wider master-planning exercise the centre will be the key focal point for the campus.
Sweeping green metal roofs will create a dynamic form of two blocks which have been designed to be built in two phases to suit demolition phasing on site, and the availability of funding. External cladding in stone, metal and render will complement the site context and will be punctuated with large areas of glazing that afford views into the sports hall, cafe and pool. A viewing terrace will provide views of the playing fields to the south.
Careful consideration of the phasing programme, planning requirements in a conservation setting, and a need for the project to achieve BREEAM very good, are key project issues.
