A commemorative plaque has been affixed to a roof girder 17 metres above the floor of Cambridge Sports Centre at the University West Cambridge site to mark the topping out of the building.

Francis Shiner, Managing Director of contractors SDC Builders Ltd (Right) was joined on the platform of a large Scissor Lift by the University’s Estate Management Director Michael Bienias (Centre) and Director of Physical Education Tony Lemons (Left) as they were raised to the ceiling of the main sports hall.

Watching below was an invited audience of architects, contractors engineers, sports representatives and university officials.

The architecturally stunning centre, designed by Arup Associates, is due to open late Summer 2013.

It will welcome patrons into a grand lobby and lounge area complete with audio-visual space to catch the latest match or lunchtime lecture, and a café.  Visible from the café will be the spacious fitness suite containing a full range of state-of-the-art cardiovascular equipment.

At the core of the Centre will be a vast sports hall, housing two full-size courts for basketball, badminton, boxing, five-a-side football, volleyball, netball and other court games. 

There will be an impressive strength and conditioning wing, with free-weights platforms and a three-lane plyometric track. This will be an important resource for students and members of the public alike, whether their focus is on training for health and wellbeing, rehabilitation or in support of sports performance.

A large multi-purpose room will cater to the martial arts, yoga, spinning, and floor-based exercises including fencing, dancing and gymnastics.

There will be space for future provision, subject to funding, of a sports medicine and rehabilitation space and a separate wing of six fives courts (three of each discipline) and a row of five international-standard squash courts.

It will provide a world-class accessible facility for recreation, training and competition and will bring together, under one roof, hundreds of athletes from the University and the local community.

Francis Shiner said: “During our lifetime we like to be involved with things that make a real difference. In our working life we want to be associated with projects where we can feel a genuine sense of achievement. I believe that this contract ticks both those boxes.”

Tony Lemons said “I am delighted at the quality of the emerging building and look forward to the opening of the facilities that I feel will bring a step change to the provision of sport and exercise opportunities in the University for staff and students alike, providing on-site training and competition for up to twenty sports clubs.”

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