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BUILDING PROJECTS
‘A family changing area and two disabled changing rooms with
toilets have been introduced alongside the pool, to encourage greater participation by disabled users and families with young children’
Opposite: The new family changing room
© Christopher Jones (both photos)
installed, because Warwick Hall was built on a slightly differ- ent level from the rest of the centre. “The gym used to be a grotty subterranean corridor,” says
Caddick, “but it’s been raised to the same height as the sports hall and separated by glass screens. It’s much more attractive and encourages broader use. If a centre having a refurb and a phased development has established dry side activity, ideally you don’t want to take that out of commission. You may have to move people around, but you want to keep customers on site, so they don’t go away, use a private facility and perhaps not come back. “Camberwell was closed for the project but reopened in
phases as soon as those became available. The quality is now pretty well equal to most private facilities and the footfall has gone up massively.” Male and female changing rooms have been refurbished to Sport England standards. A family changing area and two
disabled changing rooms with toilets have been introduced alongside the pool, to encourage greater participation by dis- abled users and families with young children. Work on the pools, entrance and changing facilities was finished in February 2011. Southwark Council’s original
£1.45 million funding from the Government’s Free Swimming Capital Programme was boosted by more than £2 million from the council’s Investing in Leisure programme, £576,000 from the Youth Capital Fund and various other grants bring- ing the total to £4.7 million. Thus the scheme was also able to expand and refurbish the gym and youth facilities and the dry side changing rooms, as well as making structural
improvements to the sports hall. A new youth facility includes social spaces, workshops, training rooms and a music produc- tion room.
This second phase of work was completed in the summer,
while Phase 3, the upgrade of the 200 sq m Warwick Hall activity area and main sports hall are due for completion in 2012 following another recent injection of funding. This will result in both areas receiving a new sprung floor, air-handling systems, exposed Victorian roof structures, roof lanterns and a new sound system. New screens and doors allow operators Fusion Lifestyle to
compartmentalise the centre. With many possible permuta- tions there is great flexibility for the use of facilities by differ- ent groups at particular times of day. For instance, the front of the building can be open for wet
activities, while the rear is reserved for dry youth activities; or the public can use all the main sports facilities, while young- sters still have a private youth area. “Southwark Council were very good to work with and it
was a most enjoyable project,” says Caddick. “The response from the authority has been fantastic, the operators have appreciated the huge improvement in facilities and the num- ber of people coming through the door.” Camberwell Leisure Centre general manager Brett Jenkins
says: “Feedback from swimmers returning to the pools has been overwhelmingly positive. The new leisure facilities will help fund the future use of the pools, and the success of the restoration is a tribute to the efforts of local people, and the cross-party support for the project.” Councillor Veronica Ward, cabinet member for culture,
leisure, sport and the Olympics at Southwark Council, says: “We’re delighted that this high-quality and attractive renova- tion, is being completed well ahead of the London 2012 Olympics, and will provide 21st century leisure facilities to help people who live and work locally to get fitter and stay healthy.”
Client: Southwark Council
Architects: Watkins Gray International LLP
Main contractor: The Buxton Group
Project managers: Cyril Sweett
Structural engineers: Carter Clack
Mechanical engineers: MDDP
This page: New lockers and accessible showers enhance the changing facilities
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