Johnstone Community Sports Hub, Renfrewshire Building, Scottish Architecture, Project

Johnstone Community Sports Hub

South West Glasgow Sports Building in Renfrewshire – photos by Keith Hunter

post updated 26 January 2022 ; 26 Nov 2012

Johnstone Sports Hub

Design: Anderson Bell Christie

photos © Keith Hunter

Johnstone Sports Hub

The remit for architects Anderson Bell Christie on this project included lead consultant, architectural design; interior design; access/disability design & audits: acoustics; cad visualisation; landscape design; brief development; contract administration.

This new development is intended to provide Johnstone High School with a new “civic” focal point. The existing school and sports hall are disconnected from the community, and perceived as over exposed – a consequence of their location. This new sports hub provides a high quality landmark and community hub.

Accommodation includes:

– A new FINA standard 25 metre swimming pool plus changing facilities
– Small sports hall for gym and dance classes
– Four large sports courts
– Changing facilities for sports halls/courts
– Full size Sports Scotland 3G synthetic pitch plus outdoor changing
– Full fitness gymnasium centre with aerobic and weights plus associated high quality changing rooms
– Entrance and seating area with feature atrium space
– External landscaping and car parking

The new hub connects both the upper and lower areas of this sloping site – bridging the 7-metre difference and providing level access to both community and school users. It benefits from natural daylight and natural ventilation. Following completion, the existing pool and gymnasium building will be demolished and re-developed to provide a high quality ‘urban’ courtyard and multi-pitch for the existing school.

The new sports hub is fully accessible and barrier free for both community and school users. It is serviced from a central core that contains all the plant rooms, wet and dry changing areas, and vertical circulation. This allows the building to be easily constructed, and removed the need for expensive long service and drainage routes. Anderson Bell Christie architects think that it is extremely important that the building does not feel institutional in any way, and that clever use of views allows for both private, public and shared use.