Royal Commonwealth Pool, Dalkeith Road, Edinburgh

Category

Library Item

Item no

41480

Title

Royal Commonwealth Pool, Dalkeith Road, Edinburgh

Artist / maker

MacLean, Kevin

Date

2016

Type

Digital image

Location

Edinburgh and Scottish Collection

2-Stage with upper stage recessed, rectangular-plan swimming pool and training centre in linear modern style.

Built for the Commonwealth Games which were held in Edinburgh in 1970 at a total cost of £1.5 million. The structure, which had to be completed as quickly as possible, was designed to facilitate maximum offsite prefabrication and was finished within 2 years. Constructed on a sloping site, the building is at its lowest scale on the 2 road frontages. The sloping site also assisted the separation of 'dry' and 'wet' accommodation. Innovative planning greatly reduced the normal problems of heat-loss, noise, condensation, and glare. Careful landscaping was designed to blend with the grounds of Pollock Halls of Residence behind (the halls were the Commonwealth Village). The strong, simple lines of the building serve to emphasise, rather than challenge, the dramatic hillsides behind. The Pool received a Structural Steel Design Award in 1970, an RIBA award in 1971, and a Civic Trust Award in 1972.

The pool was closed to the public from June 2009 to March 2012 to allow refurbishment so that it could meet performance standards for competitive swimming as well as recreation, allowing it to be used as the venue for the diving competition at the Commonwealth Games in 2014. It is now Scotland's centre of excellence for diving.

The existing 50m pool was replaced with a level deck, 51.5m long by 21m wide pool and the diving pool replaced with a pool 25m wide by 16.25 long to provide adequate depth for modern diving and synchronised swimming. The teaching pool was also replaced with a 25m pool and other new facilities include a new gym and fitness studios, with a café, crèche and children's facilities around the redesigned entrance foyer.

A terrace giving good sight lines over the new pools provides 900 spectator seats.

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Architecture > Architectural features > Flagpoles

Architecture > Architectural features > Stairways

Places > Scotland > Edinburgh

Plants > Trees > Trees

Sport and leisure > Sports and recreation facilities > Sports centres

Sport and leisure > Sports and recreation facilities > Swimming pools

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