Andersonstown Leisure Centre 

On-Time and On-Budget: Andersonstown Leisure Centre Achieves Sustainable Success with Cutting-Edge Facilities.

SPACE&PLACE (S&P) designed and developed the Andersonstown Leisure Centre for Belfast City Council’s award-winning Belfast Leisure Transformation (BLT) Programme. In this context, we planned Andersonstown as one of three key centres to meet the growing needs of Belfast’s vibrant community.

As part of the Belfast Agenda, this £105 million leisure investment aimed to improve health, boost economic regeneration, and enhance access to quality facilities. We developed the Andersonstown Leisure Centre to meet the needs of a modern, inclusive city, serving both residents and visitors. Extensive community engagement and early consultation helped identify gaps in leisure provision, ensuring a fair distribution of resources across all city neighborhoods.

To achieve inclusivity and attract visitors, we defined a unique selling point (USP) for each centre. For Andersonstown, this USP emphasized family-focused water attractions as well as elite Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) training facilities. Key features include a 25m, 6-lane swimming pool, a separate learner pool, and spectator seating. Additionally, highlights encompass thrilling family splash areas with flumes, slides, an indoor splash pad, as well as an indoor surf machine. Furthermore, outdoor facilities such as a hurling wall and 5-a-side pitches complement the GAA elite training offerings.

Results

Timely and within budget, we delivered the Andersonstown Leisure Centre, now open to the public. Early design phase work addressed site challenges like parking and integration with the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system. We aimed for a BREEAM rating of ‘Very Good’ to emphasize sustainability. Collaborative workshops and early involvement of a leisure water specialist ensured efficient coordination and accurate planning of water features, such as slides, flumes, and surf machines. Thanks to careful planning and community engagement, the centre has become a vibrant, family-friendly hub for Belfast. The BREEAM assessment for construction is ongoing and on track for the ‘Very Good’ rating.

August 2020