Project Overview
- Project: Knaresborough Leisure and Wellness Centre
- Client: Harrogate Borough Council
- Construction Value: £17m
- Status: Complete
- Location: Harrogate
Leisure and Wellness Centre in Knaresborough.
Originally built in 1990, Knaresborough’s pool was last refurbished 20 years ago. Having surpassed its lifespan, GT3 worked with clients North Yorkshire Council to rejuvenate this – and its sister refurbishment and extension project, Harrogate Hydro – much-loved building into an exciting and inclusive leisure destination.
The new Knaresborough Leisure and Wellness Centre – operated by Brimhams Active – is now home to a six-lane 25m pool, smaller activity pool with flume, larger fitness and studio space (including an immersive cycling studio), new changing village, large café, sauna and steam room. The facility mix and wider design was crafted to foster better inclusivity, with a particular emphasis on families with young children and individuals with mobility needs.
Design
The building’s exterior was born from its unique setting; nestled in a historic market town, next to a conservation area and amid listed residential properties. Natural colours and materials reflect and blend into the location, with a high landform helping the building to bed into the existing streetscape, softening the scale needed for such large leisure amenities. To one end of the building, red brick and pitched roofing increases sensitivity and reflects the residential properties nearby, with mature trees creating a natural boundary. More centrally, columns discreetly reference the iconic Knaresborough viaduct, using the same proportions to create familiarity with the town’s most visual landmark. This central section has a lower form and flat roof, with the stone-coloured colonnade wrapping around the front of the building. Finally, the far end of the building housing the dry leisure amenities features metal cladding, with a warm tone tying the colour palette together.