new


opening Plans for Ravenscraig town


• Around 3,500 new homes • New town centre with 84,000sq m of retail and leisure space • Up to 216,000sq m of business and industrial space


The Ravenscraig Facility includes a full-size indoor FIFA two-star 3G synthetic sports pitch


Stadium and the Olympic Stadium for the London 2012 Olympic Games. Central to the design of Ravenscraig


Regional Sports Facility was the concept of creating a link to the steel industry that’s had such a strong cultural presence on both the site and the wider local community. This infl uenced the choice of materials and the building itself. Its cladding has been designed as metal bands that rise out of the ground to wrap around the structure – a visual reminder reminiscent of rolled metal sheets (see photo, right). “We made a determined effort to make reference to the history of the site through the architectural language of the new facility,” explains John Barrow, senior principal of Populous. The complex is notionally divided


into three main building blocks: the football and sports hall to the east, the athletics hall to the west, and the changing rooms and reception area located in the centre of the facility. The layout, with its common areas and centralised gathering zones between the halls, allows for a high level of interaction between the athletes and the public. The idea is also that this will encourage athletes can learn from each other’s disciplines. Sustainability credentials were


also key to the design. The building incorporates a striking serrated roof – unusual for buildings with such large enclosed areas – which diffuses natural light into the facility all year round. This in turn minimises the dependence on artifi cial lighting, helping reduce annual energy costs and the facility’s carbon footprint. The structure’s green credentials also extend to using biomass fuel and harvesting rainwater, with signifi cant levels of insulation aimed at


38


• Full-size indoor FIFA two-star 3G synthetic sports pitch, suitable for football and rugby training, football matches and also non- sporting events such as concerts for up to 5,000 people • Full-size FIFA two-star outdoor fl oodlit 3G synthetic pitch • Six outdoor fi ve-a-side courts • Indoor athletics track, 135m straight with six lanes, throws and jumps area, strength and conditioning suite


• Major parkland areas • New transport network • New sports facility • New college campus • Two new schools


Ravenscraig Regional Sports Facility


• Multi-sports hall with nine badminton courts and fi ve show badminton courts • Fitness suite with 100 stations of Technogym equipment • Two dance studios • Lecture and meeting rooms • Sports injury clinic • Press and media facilities • Café • VIP facilities including fi ne dining


keeping the heat in as well as reducing acoustic break-out. “It’s been a real pleasure watching


this magnifi cent building gradually transform the once derelict landscape of Ravenscraig,” concludes McCable.


the opening The stunning new Ravenscraig Regional Sport Facility was officially opened on 30 September 2010 with a weekend of sporting fun, which kicked off with a 24-hour charity football tournament. This was a huge success, attracting more than 100 local football teams and raising over £4,000 for the local St Andrews Hospice. Even the slots between midnight and six in the morning were fully subscribed. The opening weekend came to an


end on 3 October with an attempt to hold the biggest ever Zumba class: 836 people successfully danced their way to the record books, beating the previous record of 575. The four-day event was complete with sporting celebrities, taster fi tness classes and great community support. The Ravenscraig Regional Sports


Facility now looks towards a bright future. The state-of-the-art facilities


Read Health Club Management online at healthclubmanagement.co.uk/digital


are being strongly considered as a training site for the both the London 2012 Olympics and the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games. Furthermore, Ravenscraig has been elected to be the main facility for the 2011 International Children’s Games, scheduled to take place in Lanarkshire: it will host the badminton and athletics events. Development of the Ravenscraig


site itself will also continue. As Jim Fitzsimons, project director at Ravenscraig Ltd, explains: “It’s always been our ambition to create a vibrant destination with a distinct identity and sense of place and community where people will want to live and work.” With the completion of phase one


just around the corner, plans for phase two are currently being fi nalised. Over the next few years, we will see the expansion of Ravenscraig town centre, with the addition of attractive shopping services, restaurant and community facilities, modern transport amenities and more housing – all of which will provide a user base on the very doorstep of the sports facilities.


healthclub@leisuremedia.com amanda ellison


january 2011 © cybertrek 2011


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84