| Architect |
Lifschutz,
Davidson, Sandilands |
| Date
Built |
2017 |
| Location |
Edgbaston
Campus |
| Description |
|
The University
of Birmingham's new Sport & Fitness
Centre occupies a site on the corner of
Edgbaston Park Road and Bristol Road at the
gateway to the Edgbaston Campus. It
contains the city's first Olympic size
swimming pool, a range of sports halls and
gyms, laboratories and testing facilities
and a climbing wall. The architect's website says that, "... Formally, the scheme is articulated as discreet volumes, detailed in brick and bronze. .... The swimming pool is placed prominently to the south, to signpost the Centre and the University beyond. A simple arrangement of spaces and structure gives the building inherent flexibility, while the staggered plan allows any of the volumes to be extended easily in the future."  Professor Sir David
Eastwood, Vice-Chancellor of the
University of Birmingham, is quoted as
saying that, "...This is a
landmark occasion for the University
and the city. We are delighted to be
opening the doors to a pioneering
facility, which will enhance
Birmingham’s existing world-class
sporting infrastructure and
contribute to the city’s and
region’s ambitions to attract global
events to Birmingham and the West
Midlands.”
 The university's
website adds that, "... The size
and quality of the building will be
unrivalled in both the health and
fitness, and higher education
markets. Materials were sourced from
across the world to create an
outstanding architectural building,
which is designed to highest
possible specifications of
environmental sustainability and
accessibility, including a platform
lift into the pool."
  |
|
|
University
of Birmingham Fitness & Indoor Sports Centre, UK
 |
