PROJECT REPORT: SPORTS & LEISURE FACILITIES 37
practice, but other physical training sessions including yoga and pilates.
Suspended empty swimming pools Climbing to the first floor – and away from the only heated portions of the building which are downstairs, for the comfort of the staff – double doors open up to the concrete skate park. Here, as on the remaining floors, it was decided the only ventilation needed was to regulate circulation, with users providing more than enough heat to keep warm. Because of this, all the interior specifications are graded for outdoor use, with the bowls essentially bringing almost all the servicing benefits of an outdoor space, but with the weatherproof practicalities of a roof.
As with all the skating floors, the space has been designed in conjunction with local skaters and experts to be of world class standard. And, according to its pro users so far, it has been a real success on this front. It also features designs from competition- winning local artists.
According to Maverick Skateparks, who designed the skating areas, the bowls were modelled after the empty swimming pools skating scene that began during a drought in California. Largely influenced by scenes from the LA skateboarders from the well- known Dogtown and Z-boys documentary, this floor is intended as a tribute to this piece of skating history, including some intricate tile detailing to its rim. The most demanding floor to skate in terms of skill level, the bowls are very steep (I can vouch for this – they were tricky to climb in and out of on foot!). They have further protruding ‘lips’ and a faster, but less forgiving, surface than most skate parks. In order to achieve the bowls’ complex construction, Maverick created an intricate 3D digital model to aid installation, and specialist firm Cordek were engaged to manufacture polystyrene moulds that acted as the falsework for the bowls, delivered to site in eight articulated lorries and pieced together. Cordek says the rebar concrete reinforcement process was “incredibly complex,” every bar being positioned individually prior to a spray concrete mix being applied. It reportedly took six weeks to design and schedule and a further four weeks to fix into place. While a traditional concrete slab would be poured continuously, the bowls were marked into sections completing one per day, being identified as the most economical approach without any compromise on the quality required.
ADF JUNE 2022
Social climbing From the same floor, users can also access the climbing wall and bouldering spaces. Claimed to be the tallest climbing venue in the south east, the walls of the main climbing wall reach up to 15 metres – carving a space up through all remaining floors, with glazing connecting the spaces visually. Here, the main wall also includes two dedicated speed climbing sections, with auto ‘belays’ and speed timers to test speed and endurance – as seen in the Olympics – with coloured footpads throughout to cater for a range of physical abilities. Nearby is also a further free-climbing bouldering space, with soft flooring and lower heights, meaning users don’t have to be strapped in. These multifaceted surfaces offer varying angles and over 230 m2 of surface with a multitude of routes and features for climbers to tackle, including steep overhang roof sections, catering for beginners through to experts.
Patchwork of timber
Continuing the climb through the building (which can be made on foot or up the walls!), the next two skate parks are
WWW.ARCHITECTSDATAFILE.CO.UK
Looking up, you see the undisguised forms of the colossal concrete bowls, suspended directly above your head. Even from below, their scale is impressive
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
