Buttress Architects | Abingdon School Sports Centre

Abingdon is a prestigious boys’ school located in Oxfordshire and features several Grade II listed buildings on its grounds, which is also in a conservation area.

Buttress was given the task of creating a brand new sports centre and swimming pool that could sit comfortably on this sensitive site. The new first class facilities were built around the existing sports centre and included an eight lane 25m swimming pool, indoor and outdoor changing facilities, a fitness suite, squash courts, climbing wall, judo and fencing studio and finally, a social space and classroom with a balcony overlooking the outdoor pitches.

A key challenge on this project was to create a design that allowed the large volumes of the sports centre to sit comfortably in a sensitive location. The new building is broken down visually with different roof profiles and cladding materials, and even integrates the listed boundary wall of the site into the new centre. The swimming pool in particular has a curved roof, which is clad with timber on the inside creating a dynamic and natural sports environment.

Manchester Society of Architects Awards 2009: Best Sport and Leisure Project