鈥嬧�婾niversity of Birmingham Indoor Sports Centre
by Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands
Client University of Birmingham Indoor Sports Centre
Awards 澳门王中王 West Midlands Award 2018, 澳门王中王 Client of the Year Award 2018 - and 澳门王中王 National Award 2018
On a gateway site on the edge of the University鈥檚 Edgbaston campus, the client鈥檚 aspiration was not only for a state-of-the-art sports centre for students and staff but a new building that would invite participation by the local community. Making the activities inside as visible as possible was key, something usually at odds with the large volumes and inward-looking nature of typical sports spaces.
Taking advantage of the sloping site, the architects were able to organise the large component parts of the brief (50 metre pool, large multi-purpose hall, squash complex, fitness suites and car park) in a coherent, legible way without becoming over-bearing. A bronze-clad arch frames the main entrance and is extruded along the length of the site - an external marker of the centre鈥檚 main axis of circulation that connects to the pool on one side and the multi-purpose hall on the other.
Pool and hall are distinguished externally by their brick facades which tie them into the neighbouring student union building and the character of the campus鈥� original brick nucleus. This simple choice gives the centre an immediate sense of place, avoiding the temptation to fall back on today鈥檚 default sports centre palette of high-tech steel and glass.
There is still plenty of glass, though, as well as the large span structures required to cover the volumes but these are simply handled and never allowed to dominate the main spaces.
The many smaller rooms (for changing, teaching, offices, fitness suites) are deftly incorporated into the building鈥檚 stepped section, which is also used to good effect to open up cross views between spaces.
The building鈥檚 civic role is celebrated externally by a portico flanking the pool, which marks the campus boundary and guides the visitor round to the main entrance. Within the tall entrance foyer a climbing wall immediately engages the eye, showcasing the building鈥檚 activities. In a similar way the entrance caf茅, placed strategically on the building鈥檚 most prominent corner, looks onto the pool, so the building鈥檚 social and sporting agendas are always visibly intertwined.
Since opening, the centre鈥檚 membership from both university and town has surged, exceeding all expectations - a fitting recognition of the client鈥檚 vision and the way it has been given form by the architects. The new centre provides a broad range of highly flexible and well equipped spaces that can be adapted for different sports and public events, a level of adaptability that in other sports facilities can sometimes result in a dullness of character, but here it is achieved with memorable civic spirit.
Architect Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands
Client University of Birmingham Indoor Sports Centre
Contractor Interserve
Structural Engineers Arup
Environmental / M&E Engineers Couch Perry Wilkes
Quantity Surveyor / Cost Consultant Robinson Low Francis
Landscape Architects Townshend Landscape Architects
Access Consultant People Friendly Design
Acoustic Engineers Cole Jarman
Transport/Highways Engineer WSP
Filtration Engineers Devin Consulting
Fire Engineer Jeremy Gardner Associates
Sports Specialist Space-Place
