Bangor Aurora, NI
April 2013
SPACE & PLACE’s design of the Bangor Castle Leisure Centre included Northern Ireland’s first Olympic-sized 50m swimming pool. The project received a £15m grant to provide Olympic and Paralympic standard swimming facilities for use by international teams and for competitions in the lead-up to the 2012 Olympics.
Sited on the Valentine Playing Fields site it replaced the existing Bangor Castle Leisure Centre on Castle Park Avenue. The 14,000m2 building has an extensive glass curtain walling facade set under an s-shaped metal standing seam roof which follows the natural contours of the gently sloping parkland setting.
Facilities include:
- 50m x 25m ten lane swimming pool with a separate 25m x 15m diving pool, submersible booms and floating floors, together with village style changing areas and spectator seating for 1000 people
- Leisure water area with a pool incorporating a wave machine and other attractions including flumes, a side-winder, a pirate ship, a kids-interactive play structure and spa pools
- 120 station fitness area with fitness studios and changing facilities
- Performance development centre for elite athletes
- 8 court sports hall with retractable spectator seating for 500 people
- Hall for dance and activity classes
- 2 squash courts with viewing facilities
- Changing areas for use with dry sports activities
- 2 function rooms
- Kids Play Area with play structure
- Staff Offices
- Changing facilities for external 5-aside and 11-aside football pitches.
- Swim Ulster offices
- Floodlit synthetic grass pitch
The Bangor Castle Leisure Centre project achieved BREEAM ’Excellent’, largely due to its’ integration of CHP plant, its’ very large span glulam timber beam, floating floors & booms, as well as the inclusion of the Performer Development Centre.