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Dundee, Stirling & Edinburgh publish National Performance Centre for Sport bids

August 9 2013

Dundee, Stirling & Edinburgh publish National Performance Centre for Sport bids
Three shortlisted designs for a proposed £25m National Performance Centre for Sport have been unveiled by Dundee, Stirling and Edinburgh.

Dundee's bid is being spearheaded by Keppie and Dundee City Council and would be situated in Camperdown Country Park and has been positioned to meet the needs of both elite sporting professionals and the wider public.

Commenting on their bid David Ross, design director at Keppie, said: “Camperdown is set in an uncommonly beautiful location; an expansive green parkland with a quiet and relaxed environment, but close to the city centre of Dundee. Our proposal sought to harness this natural beauty whilst recognising that by placing a building there, its character would inevitably change. The site and its approach are breath-taking, and it provided the stimulus for a design which works with the topography to create synergy between building and landscaped context.
 
“All parts of the building are visually connected. The central street runs adjacent to an open courtyard which separates the Elite Performance parts of the facility, but allows all parts to feel equally important. Observation is a key part of sport and sporting development and the design promotes a very high level of this, both internally and externally.”

Meanwhile in Edinburgh it is Reiach & Hall who are assuming design honours, working in tandem with Heriot Watt University and City of Edinburgh Council to deliver a centre with a unique curving roof which arcs to trace the trajectory of Brazil’s Roberto Carlos’ goal against France in 1997.

Situated in parkland to the west of the city the centre features  a Hampden replica pitch the city; it features a Hampden replica pitch; an outdoor synthetic pitch; four outdoor natural football and two rugby pitches; nine court sports hall; a 3G indoor football pitch and a fitness suite, and world class facilities for sports science and medicine all linked together by a sports promenade.

The facility would also be utilised by Scottish Rugby which has chosen Edinburgh as the preferred home for a training base.

In Stirling FaulknerBrowns are taking the helm in partnership with Stirling University to push for the centre to be located on the existing sports campus. It would feature an indoor sports centre as well as a Hampden-sized outdoor pitch; a nine court sports hall and a strength and conditioning area; complemented by sports science and physiotherapy support.

The Scottish Government will announce the winner in September with the winning facility set to be built by September.
Additional facilities including a hotel, conference facilities and athlete accommodation could also be built
Additional facilities including a hotel, conference facilities and athlete accommodation could also be built
An all weather indoor football pitch sits at the heart of the plan
An all weather indoor football pitch sits at the heart of the plan

Andy Murray and Sir Alex Ferguson both back Stirling's bid
Andy Murray and Sir Alex Ferguson both back Stirling's bid
Each component of the campus is visually linked
Each component of the campus is visually linked

Edinburgh's bid benefits from close proximity to the airport
Edinburgh's bid benefits from close proximity to the airport
Keppie's Camperdown Park plan sits within verdant surrounds
Keppie's Camperdown Park plan sits within verdant surrounds

Reiach and Hall's curvaceous roofscape tracks the arc of 'one of the greatest goals in football history'
Reiach and Hall's curvaceous roofscape tracks the arc of 'one of the greatest goals in football history'
Scottish Rugby would work with Heriot Watt on developing the Edinburgh bid
Scottish Rugby would work with Heriot Watt on developing the Edinburgh bid

Stirling's bid benefits from the nearby National Swimming Academy; the Scottish National Tennis Centre
Stirling's bid benefits from the nearby National Swimming Academy; the Scottish National Tennis Centre
The aircraft hangar-like indoor football centre
The aircraft hangar-like indoor football centre

The new facility will be a centre of excellence
The new facility will be a centre of excellence

12 Comments

designer
#1 Posted by designer on 9 Aug 2013 at 16:20 PM
Do you have any pictures of the Stirling bid Urban Realm?
urbanrealm
#2 Posted by urbanrealm on 9 Aug 2013 at 16:42 PM
Aye, that's the last of them. Sorry for the delay in sourcing.
Bongo
#3 Posted by Bongo on 9 Aug 2013 at 17:46 PM
Stirling it is then
The Bairn
#4 Posted by The Bairn on 9 Aug 2013 at 23:07 PM
Nice try Edinburgh (no pun intended) 'a unique curving roof which arcs to trace the trajectory of Brazil’s Roberto Carlos’ goal'...I smell something contrived...pretentious moi?
I concur with 'Bongo'. The Stirling scheme seems far superior with substance and joined up thinking behind it not just a media soundbyte!!! R & H are normally better than this feeble attempt.
The Observor
#5 Posted by The Observor on 11 Aug 2013 at 23:35 PM
R+H have ripped off the recently completed Spura training ground. Most disappointing.
Jimbo
#6 Posted by Jimbo on 11 Aug 2013 at 23:37 PM
Stirling is a Central Belt bid in disguise, and for that reason (politically) they won't win it. Must say I concur on the point above.

Which leaves us with…
designer
#7 Posted by designer on 12 Aug 2013 at 10:25 AM
It leaves us with by far the best and most integrated design on the most expansive beautiful site (far too nice for fitba pitches) in Scotland's most central and progressive city.
Jonathan
#8 Posted by Jonathan on 12 Aug 2013 at 10:26 AM
Some really nice images and ideas here. Very impressed with the Dundee scheme! But sorry to throw my cynical hat in the ring but so many competitions these days seem to ignore the best design and decide on other issues. Reluctantly I feel there will be other more factors given more weight and politics at play here.
hingwy
#9 Posted by hingwy on 12 Aug 2013 at 12:44 PM
Jonothan, I think at this stage the wider impact of the national centre on the chosen city is more important that architectural design. I'm sure that, once awarded, the design process will go out to tender for other architects to compete for. Although saying that, the designs look to be far more advanced than feasibility stage..
designer
#10 Posted by designer on 12 Aug 2013 at 15:56 PM
Dundee has the only proposal which entirely follows the brief providing an entirely new build campus. I believe both Stirling and Edinburgh have to reuse old Uni. buildings. They simply dont have the space Camperdown can provide.
wonky
#11 Posted by wonky on 12 Aug 2013 at 17:28 PM
In terms of geographic placement, Stirling has a huge advantage and for that reason has to be the favourite.
Newtroll
#12 Posted by Newtroll on 13 Aug 2013 at 11:44 AM
Hard to tell from just a few images but as Jonathan states there are more important factors to consider than architectural design.
Designer - the brief did not ask for an entirely new campus.
Not sure Dundee is Scotland's most central city - Perth? Stirling?

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