Derby swimming pool complex unveiled
Derby City Council has unveiled to the public ambitious plans for our state-of-the-art swimming and leisure facility at Moorways in Derby.
The proposals include a ten-lane, 50 metre swimming pool; a leisure water area for families and a learner pool. Alongside the water spaces, there are a range of dry facilities including a gym, fitness studios, sauna and steam rooms, café and soft play area. The adaptable 50 metre pool contains two booms and two moving floors, affording the facility the flexibility to form three separate 25 metre swimming spaces or a wide variety of other arrangements.
The chosen site neighbours Osmaston Park and the Rolls-Royce Aerospace Campus. It comprises undulating parkland with an area of protected woodland known as Elm Wood. This fantastic natural context provides the opportunity to create a leisure destination where visitors can be active in an uplifting natural setting.
The nature of the proposed activities within the building led the design team to devise a simple, modular design, featuring two differentiated volumes; a ‘wet’ box and a ‘dry’ box. The changes in level of the undulating landscape have been addressed by stacking the boxes perpendicularly, creating a natural entrance in the ‘dry’ upper volume. Large glass openings at either end of each box, respond to the different characters of the setting.
The elevational treatment of the volumes creates two simple steel box portals, the silver palate of materials reflecting and celebrating the city’s enduring links with the aerospace industry.
Michael Hall, Partner at FaulknerBrowns Architects, said: “It is a great pleasure to be working with the Council again to integrate this 50m pool complex into its natural setting at Moorways. The new facility has been designed to respect the sensitive site context whilst creating a strong and inviting visual presence which draws inspiration from the city’s proud engineering heritage.”
Councillor Baggy Shanker, Cabinet Member for Finance and Governance at Derby City Council, said: “I’m very pleased with the proposals to deliver a modern and exciting new swimming pool complex for our city. These plans will deliver for Derby’s communities and help make Derby a great place to live, work and visit.”
