Just like every other week Dubai gets a 300m tower, every other week a new or expanded stadium plan seems to spring up in London! I can't think of any other city on the planet that seems to be either building or planning new, larger and more modern stadia than London.
New Crystal Palace Stadium
Ideas for Sport in the Park
Crystal Palace Park has a great sporting history and there is widespread support for continued sport in the park. However, the National Sports Centre (NSC) cannot continue to function without major works in the next 5–8 years.
The following pages show a series of studies for the major sports buildings and sports activities within the Crystal Palace Park. The study area is within the red line shown on the Park plan below, but also includes the central car-parking space just west of this area.
The first four studies shown, A–D, all retain the existing National Sports Centre building, with considerable refurbishment and improvements to its facilities. The upgrades would improve comfort, cut energy costs and – through the provision of lifts and ramps – make the facilities accessible to all users. However, re-engineering the current building will mean losing sports facilities for 18-24 months while works are carried out, and it will miss the opportunity to move the facilities closer to transport links.
Studies E and F involve creating a new sports building nearer Crystal Palace rail station. These studies would provide a modern, efficient building, using less space than the current centre, with improved access and security. Sports provision would carry on uninterrupted, although there would still be some disruption while the new centre was being built. Studies E and F would mean finding another use of the current Listed building or leave it facing full or partial demolition.
Funding is a vital issue in taking forward any of these ideas. It will be addressed later in the exhibition.
1 Metropolitan Open Land MDS boundary;
2 National Sports Centre building;
3 Concourse;
4 Sports buildings;
5 Jubilee Stand;
6 West Stand & terraces;
7 Hostel;
8 Residential;
9 Other buildings;
10 Central car parking zone
The National Sports Centre
The NSC has served as a sports centre for 40 years and was awarded Grade II* Listed status in 1997. The DCMS Listing incorporates the following description:
”…views across [the] concourse and seating, and down into squash areas, are particularly impressive. [The] fluidity is enhanced by the bold expression of the ’A’-frame and delicate arched bracing supporting the roof which is a most distinctive and distinguished feature.”
A refurbished centre would mostly retain the unique structure, but serious functional and cost issues would remain unresolved.
Problems with the existing building
* It is isolated within the middle of the Park, creating safety and security issues especially in the evenings when many people want to use it
* Current centre creates a physical barrier in the middle of the park
* Most car parking is away from the sports facilities
* Poor pedestrian access to and within the building, particularly for people with disabilities e.g. swimming changing rooms not at pool level
* Lack of dividing screen between wet and dry sports leading to poor conditions in each and under-use of squash courts
* Extensive clear glazing causes glare throughout sports centre
* Major mechanical and electrical systems need replacing
* Running costs are unsustainable at present
The internal environment
The main sports building was designed as one large space with ‘dry’ sports facilities on one side of the building and ‘wet’ (pool) facilities on the other, separated by a central gallery that leads to spectator seating.
There is no adequate temperature or noise separation between these areas, leading to high air temperatures and humidity in the gymnasium. An environmental dividing screen could be created by inserting glass screens within the A–frame structure. However this is costly and the centre would need to be closed during the installation.
The pool The pool
The existing 20m wide racing pool is too narrow for accredited competition. The dark blue areas show that there are significant structural issues involved with extending the pool in width.
The sports centre site
The car parking around the NSC covers a large area, yet is fragmented into different parking zones and serves the buildings poorly. The low bridge and turnstiles from the railway station cause problems for emergency vehicles and force service vehicles through the middle of the Park.
The immediate area around the NSC building is cluttered by a collection of smaller buildings, detracting from the Listed building itself, reducing visibility and access across the Park and increasing security concerns.
Sports facilities mix
Following discussions with Sport England and user groups, it is suggested that a new centre may contain:
* Swimming pool – ideally international competition size
* Learning pool
* Spectator seating for the pool
* Sports Hall – to allow 8 x badminton courts or the equivalent
* 4-lane 70m indoor sprint track with run-off space
* Combat hall
* Boxing hall
* Weight lifting room
* 2 dance studios
* Health and fitness suite
* 4 five-a-side football pitches (outside)
* Outdoor track
It is assumed that diving is relocated to the Lower Lea Valley.
Our aspiration is that the sports facilities will be for the community but that they will also benefit elite and aspiring athletes.
Additional facilities
In addition to the above, the following range of facilities could also be considered to provide a balance to the recreational and community mix and generate more income for the development:
* Soft play zone
* Children’s gym
* Crèche
* Hairdressers
* Beauty Salon
* Doctor/Dentist surgery
* Sports science/visitor attraction/science museum
* Extreme sports (skateboarding/biking/ rock climbing etc.)
* Bar and multi-purpose function rooms
* Restaurant
* Sports education
* Sports injury clinic
Summary of sports studies
Summary of sports studies The studies are illustrative only and do not represent final schemes. All of these options would involve large capital costs.
Studies A–D marginally improve the revenue deficit position. Studies E and F much improve this situation but additional facilities may be required to achieve a revenue neutral position.
Study A
Study A: Refurbish existing building
Improve pedestrian access and upgrade indoor track. Increase pool size and keep training and diving pools. New changing facilities and a dividing screen to help control conditions inside the building.
Pros
* Minimum impact on Listed building
* New pools with a rooftop terrace to the south
* Restored original high–level entrance with new reception
* Keeps the diving facility
Cons
* Misses opportunity to provide new facilities
* Very little change with only minor upgrade to existing sports facilities
* Swimming pool still not to accredited standard
* Highest subsidy cost
Study B
Swap wet & dry areas
New entrance with new indoor athletics area. Internal facilities re-arranged, with a new multi-purpose 8–court sports hall replacing the pool New 50x25m modern pool in the area of the existing sports hall. New changing facilities and a dividing screen between the pool and other areas to control internal conditions.
Pros
* Pool meets international competition size standards
* No construction outside the existing NSC building
* The new entrance improves the east–west connections in the park
Cons
* Less space in the sports hall, which would be long and thin and therefore not ideal
* Major remodelling required for the inside of the NSC, including new foundations for the pool
* No use for the Listed diving structure
* High construction cost
Study C
New pool on west side of existing building
Demolish raised walkway and create new entrance, with reception area connecting all levels. New indoor athletics area. Pool replaced by new multi–purpose 8–court sports hall. New 50 x 25m pool building on the west side of the building.
Pros
* Pool size meets accredited competition size standards
* Provides extra facilities, giving the potential for more revenue
* The new entrance improves the connections in the park
* Straightforward separation of wet and dry areas
* Enhance current building
Cons
* Increases the area covered by the sports complex, although only below ground
* Listed diving structure redundant
* Limited headroom over new pool
* Listed chimney structure demolished
Study D
New pool at north end of stadium
New swimming pool building between existing building and stadium. Demolish raised walkway, create new entrance and develop new indoor
athletics area. New reception area connecting all levels. Pool replaced by new multi-purpose 8–court sports hall.
Pros
* Pool meets international competition standards
* Provides extra facilities, giving the potential for more revenue
* The new entrance improves the access in the park
* Wet and dry areas are clearly separate
* Possibility of phasing works to enable continued swimming facilities, although this would extend construction time
* Reinforces the link with the athletics track
Cons
* Increases the area covered by the sports complex
* Would need new changing facilities, leading to redundant areas in the existing NSC
* Listed diving structure redundant
* Removes the existing hard court area next to the stadium
* This is likely to be the most costly option with little improvement in revenue
* Too much redundant space
Study E
New sports centre near station
the area of park built on. Consolidates car parking and access roads. Demolish raised walkway and create new indoor athletics area with good links to stadium. NSC building either demolished or released for other uses.
Pros
* A modern, efficient building located nearer public transport and main roads
* Helps improve access and security
* Opens up centre of park or releases Listed building for other uses
* New building provides continuous provision of sports facilities during construction and maintains jobs
* Reduce area built on if NSC demolished
Cons
* Potential loss of Listed building
* Separating indoor sports centre and athletics track may hinder operational and coaching benefits of current NSC
* Extensive works while new facilities are being built
Study F
Combined indoor/outdoor sports facility
New indoor sports facility near edge of park, integrated with existing athletics stadium. Consolidates car parking and access roads. Demolish raised walkway and create new indoor athletics area beneath west stand of stadium. NSC building either demolished or released for other uses.
Pros
* Uses space efficiently and cuts back the amount of space used
* Fully integrates Sports Centre, Stadium and Park Landscape, allowing better promotion of Crystal Palace as an International Sports Venue.
* Possibility to provide other sport and community uses, such as a health centre, creating more revenue
* New building provides continuous provision of sports facilities during construction and maintains jobs
* Located nearer public transport and roads with shorter access roads through Park
* Opens up centre of park or releases NSC for other uses.
* Holistic approach provides new vision for Crystal Palace and may attract other funding.
Cons
* Potential loss of Listed building
* Extensive works while new facilities are being built
Another possibility?
Another possibility? It has been suggested that the entire sports facilities could be relocated to the top of the park to consolidate all sports development on a prominent urban site and free the middle of the park from development. The diagram illustrates the space that these facilities would occupy in this location.
We have not undertaken a study on this site for the following reasons.
* The large scale of an outdoor stadium would have a significant impact on the top of the park and there would be little space for car parking near to the facilities
* Major excavation of the remaining Crystal Palace foundations would be necessary to form the seating bowl and would need very high levels of capital investment to rebuild the existing stadium plus the indoor sports centre
* The light pollution from the stadium might be of concern to local residents
* The location would be remote from the existing Crystal Palace railway station, which is a key component of large events in the park
