Location Winchester, United Kingdom Client / Operator City of Winchester Architects LA Architects UK – BN7 3JW Lewes www.la-architects.co.uk Author Mike Lawless Photos ©Hufton+Crow Official opening May 2021 Construction costs GBP 37.5 million (EUR 44 million)
42
NO ONE IS LEFT BEHIND SPORTS AND LEISURE PARK IN WINCHESTER In the summer of 2017, LA architects came first in a decision competition for a new sports and leisure park in the 2000-year-old city of Winchester in southern England. It was a capital of Anglo-Saxon England in its day and has always been a place of learning, knowledge and education. The client requested something new and innovative – a building and sports park linking the university, the city council, a range of charities and the people of Winchester. The new centre is located in an existing sports park adjacent to the University of Winchester sports stadium. It is a modern, well-designed and fully accessible building that offers the local community a wide range of indoor and outdoor sports and leisure activities. The design focuses on bringing light and views into the centre to enliven each space and connect it to the wider site.
Carried out during the pandemic The building was designed and built during the Covid-19 pandemic, when the whole country was at a standstill. Completed in May 2021, the building complex has been designed to be an inclusive, inspiring and welcoming place for all people, regardless of their cultural background, gender, economic status and especially regardsb 1/2022