New world-class tennis facility, designed to maximise occupant views of the surrounding tennis courts and parkland, while remaining resistant to a harsh coastal climate and potential vandalism.
RIBA South Award 2018
RIBA South Client of the Year Award 2018
Portsmouth Society Design Awards – Best New Building
AJ Architecture Awards 2018 – Shortlisted
Canoe Lake Tennis Club has transformed its facilities, offering world-class grass courts that meet the international standards required to host players from the professional circuit. To complement the improved courts, a new pavilion was developed to become the club’s permanent base, while also serving the local community by hosting a range of sports and community classes throughout the year.
Eckersley O’Callaghan engineered the structure, responding to a brief that called for maximum transparency. Large openings at ground and first floor levels offer views to the grass courts, with terraced outdoor seating on the first floor roof.
The structure uses loadbearing blockwork to support a concrete first floor slab. The slab has voids to reduce weight, allowing for the large open spaces at ground floor level. The slab’s soffit is exposed as fair-faced concrete internally.
The lightweight steel frame at first floor is detailed to achieve the roof’s slim profile by reducing in depth towards its edges. It includes stiffened notches through the steelwork to accommodate roof gutters into the depth of the steel frame. The roof is infilled with timber rafters.
The project was completed in time to host a series of pre-Wimbledon tennis qualifiers.
