Efficient activity separation
The design separates wet activities, including the swimming and leisure pools, and dry activities such as the gym and studios in two intersecting volumes at 90 degrees to each other. These two wet and dry boxes are stacked to address the undulating landscape, with large, glass openings or ‘eyes’ at the end of each volume orientated towards specific views in the landscape.
From the end of the 50m pool, you can look through the entirety of the building, through the teaching pool, on to the leisure pool and woods beyond. This visual connection between spaces means those taking their first swimming lessons share the same environment as athletes, inspiring a sense of what can be achieved through high-performance training.
The main swimming pool and leisure water area overlook the adjacent athletics track and local woodland, while the entrance and fitness suite face Moor Lane, the main route from Derby city centre. The centre’s material palette draws on the region's engineering heritage. The Sports Village uses silver-toned aluminium cladding, in a reference to the neighbouring Rolls-Royce Aerospace Campus.
