Lawn Tennis Association and Bolton MBC
Bolton Arena National Tennis Centre
Bolton Arena has a unique place in British Architecture, as the first community indoor tennis facility designed to allow for Davis Cup tournaments. The building has important agendas, including promoting excellence in tennis development through the LTA, and incorporates the first purpose-built Sports Education Theatre in the United Kingdom. Its design is exciting and unconventional for a tennis facility, resulting from one of the first partnerings (in the Egan mould) between local government and private practice and is a credit to total teamwork cooperation across the whole spectrum, from client to contractor.
The project started from a simple requirement for a community tennis provision but a need was identified for a much wider base for sport development, as well as a national requirement for tennis development. Sport England was enthused by the project and a lottery bid was promoted with backing from other sports bodies. The accommodation incorporates 8 indoor tennis courts; a Sports Education Theatre for 250-300 people, offering a full programme of interactive sports training and technique analysis; a large futuristic gym and health suite; LTA Regional HQ; conference and changing facilities. A wide range of external sports facilities embraces athletics and events, outdoor clay tennis courts and multi-use games areas, all set in a semi-naturalistic landscaping context offering shelter from prevailing winds. Espalier hedges and underplanted borders frame the main pathways.
The elliptical building nestles within the sensitive Middlebrook flood plain but the location was fraught with groundwork issues, including redirecting the river course, creating plateaux that respond to the floor plain needs, and the removal of deep deposits under the building footprint. The construction involved 14m piles supporting a steel frame incorporating a matrix of cellular roof beams spanning the indoor courts and lateral spaces. This called for the largest cellular beam ever made in the UK, being 2.6m deep. The main roof-covering is a single span, over 100m, of welded aluminium roof by Key Bemo. A wide fringe overhangs the perimeter walls, supported by circular columns carrying “mushroom gill” steel cantilevers.
The perimeter wall, of Kingspan composite panels, is arranged in 2m facets on the elliptical locus and has a jettied vertical profile to articulate the glazing zones. The main atrium entrance is fronted by curtain walling and bracketed by two stair towers that buttress the approach to the complex. Ground floors are power-floated concrete and upper floors pre-cast units. The majority of internal walls are dry construction which allowed speedy, accurate and relatively clean procedures in order to achieve the 14-month programme. Wet trades were used where a continually wet environment was required, limiting the traditionally troublesome trades and reducing Health & Safety risks.
A moveable steel gantry that gives access to a rear viewing gallery and external balcony divides the tennis hall. The gantry can be floated away on air skates when major events are staged.
