Abingdon School

A new sports centre and swimming pool adding contemporary interventions to a historically sensitive site.

Located in Oxfordshire, the prestigious Abingdon School features numerous Grade II listed buildings on site, and is also part of a conservation area. A state-of-the-art new Sports Centre and Swimming Pool building was built around the existing sports facility, featuring an eight lane 25-metre swimming pool, indoor and outdoor changing facilities, a fitness suite, squash courts, climbing wall, judo and fencing studio and also a social space and classroom with a balcony overlooking the outdoor pitches.

Visually, the new building creates a point of interest while integrating seamlessly with the existing architecture. Different roof profiles and cladding materials are feature elements of the building, most notably the curved roof of the swimming pool, which is timber-clad to create a dynamic and natural sports environment for the pupils.