Location: London, United Kingdom.

Architect: FaulknerBrowns Architect.

Hackney Council is building a new leisure centre next to Shoreditch Park, which will include a six-lane, 25m main pool, training pool, leisure water area, sports hall, squash courts, fitness suite, exercise studios, creche and soft play area, and a café. The centre has been designed by FaulknerBrowns Architects and will replace the existing Britannia Leisure Centre. The design proposal minimises the building’s overall footprint, allowing for a new public square to be created on the northern edge of the site. The external skin of the building reinforces the building’s plan, with the visually dynamic areas positioned on the external perimeter of the plan. The principles of inclusivity and accessibility have played a significant role in the design strategy for the new centre, with the toilet and changing accommodation within the wet and dry changing areas designed to provide choice. The new leisure centre is part of a wider masterplan which includes a new secondary school and hundreds of new homes, including 81 for social rent and shared ownership. The new centre is equipped to serve Hackney for many generations to come.