Concordia Leisure Centre Refurbishment Completes
Main contractor, Robertsons Ltd, handed over the third and final stage of the £3.5m refurbishment of Cramlington’s Concordia Leisure Centre to clients, Active Northumberland and Northumberland County Council, on July 22.
The project, led by award-winning Newcastle architects, JDDK Ltd, had begun on site in September 2015 but required the centre to remain open throughout the construction period necessitating a phased approach to minimise disruption to both users and the general public around the site.
JDDK Project Architect, Clair Sanders, commented, “Phase I updated the current facilities to make maximum use of the existing space – the sports hall was divided in two with one half remaining unchanged while a themed four-storey soft play area for children of all ages was installed in the other .The hall also now hosts the region’s first Clip ‘n Climb facility, a series of climbing-based challenges that use an automatic belay device to make indoor climbing accessible for all ages and abilities.”
“Phase II started in November and included the creation of a new 10 lane, 10-pin bowling centre on the site of the former bowling green, a dedicated spinning studio with a tiered layout to optimise the use of the space and featuring virtual instructors as well as traditional group cycling classes. A new spa and updates to the dry changing areas and party rooms were also included. The third and final phase which has just completed, features improvements to the foyer and entrance including a new cafe, the creation of an additional fitness studio, and the relocation of Cramlington Library into the Leisure Centre.”
Centre Manager, Chris Scurfield, said, “It’s been a very successful project which has now produced a first class leisure facility for not only local people but also those from further afield who come to use the amenities. It was a real collaborative effort from all concerned, led by our architects, JDDK, and we’re very proud of the result.”
Dave Barrass, Senior Project Manager of Robertson Construction added, “The phased nature of the construction programme obviously created challenges as the safety of the general public has to take priority, but this has been a very successful project all round.”
