PROJECT REPORT: SPORTS & LEISURE FACILITIES 37


Images and plans © GT3 Architects Images © GT3 Architects T


he Whitwick and Coalville Leisure Centre forms a new gateway for the Leicestershire town of Coalville, introducing a wealth of health and fitness resources to the area in a form sensitive to its woodland surroundings. Developed for North West Leicestershire District Council (NWLDC) and designed by GT3 Architects, the new facility, which cost £22.5m, replaces the former outdated Hermitage Leisure Centre, and is located next to the A511 that runs east-west through Coalville.


As well as improving the wellbeing of the local residents, the centre is intended to create a new heart for the community that will enhance local connectivity, and forms a focal point for the area. In addition, the design exploited the full benefits of the


ADF SEPTEMBER 2023


site to put a connection with nature at the foreground of the project for users. Set on a wooded site on the northern outskirts of Coalville, users approach the centre through a series of vibrant outdoor spaces – designed by landscape architects OOBE – which have been designed to be a continuation of the semi-rural surroundings. Around the centre’s exterior, exercise trails enclose a large area of grass with a mown footpath guiding visitors through. Coppiced woodland belts and swathes of wildflower planting adding ecological interest and biodiversity. Within this substantial framing landscape, the design of the building itself takes a deep consideration of its surroundings. The external materials palette includes pre-patinated copper cladding,


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