The Heriot’s Centre for Sport and Exercise Edinburgh, Scottish Architecture Picture

The Heriot’s Centre for Sport and Exercise News

Educational Building in Edinburgh, Scotland – Lauriston Place Facility

post updated 28 July 2021 ; 14 + 13 Jun 2013

Location: George Heriot’s School, Grassmarket Campus, Lauriston Place, central Edinburgh, EH3 9EQ

New photos added 13 Jun 2013

photograph © Paul Zanre

Heriot’s Centre for Sport and Exercise Building

The Heriot’s Centre for Sport and Exercise in Edinburgh

Phase 1 of the Masterplan was to design and construct the new bridge link between the Lauriston Place and Grassmarket Campuses and the new Sports Centre, later to be named the ‘Heriot’s Centre for Sport and Exercise’.

Located in the Edinburgh Old Town Conservation Area, the site is bounded on two sides by Greyfriars Graveyard and a restricted view of it can also be seen from the Castle Esplanade.

photo © Paul Zanre

With the creation of such large new volumes, necessary to the construction of the new sports hall and studio, careful handling of the building mass is of utmost importance in this sensitive location. The building attempts to imitate the mass of the existing building by broadly staying within the current form presented to Greyfriars Graveyard. The new building also respects the existing stepped nature of the site with a retaining wall running across the full width.

Access from the existing pend to the new courtyard needs to be maintained, therefore the building form steps at courtyard level to allow access to pass under the Sports Hall, which is located on the first floor.

photos © Paul Zanre

The Studio space is also located on the first floor to allow a direct link between it and the Sports Hall. The underside of this space forms a canopy over the entrance. The mass of the building is also shaped by the need for a new courtyard of an appropriate size and proportion.

As a result of the restricted site access through the construction phase and in order to achieve the necessary large spans required for a sports hall space, there was an early decision to utilise the Finnforest Merk engineered structural timber system to form the main spaces. When full clad with their birch panelling, the use of this timber structure gives the main spaces a unique feeling and richness when compared to traditionally built sports halls.

photographs © Paul Zanre

Externally, the skin of the building clad in a pre-patinated zinc cassette panel, the pattern of which takes a cue from the lead roof of the historic Heriot’s building. The lower extents of the building are finished with a harder wearing render system. Each of the two roofs are finished with green sedum in order to reduce their visual impact when viewed particularly from the Castle Esplanade.

14.06.2013

The Heriot’s Centre for Sport and Exercise was officially opened 9th March 2012.