Canoe Lake Leisure Tennis Pavilion, Portsmouth

Project Overview

The privately funded, replacement tennis pavilion was built in the Southsea conservation area. The new pavilion creates a permanent home for the tennis club, and a new focal point for the community. The building was designed by PAD studio, with engineering by Eckersley O’Callaghan and concrete detailing by Grey Matter. 

Built using load bearing block work of Petersen Tegl Kolumba hand-thrown bricks to support the concrete first floor slab, with large open voids to reduce the weight the slab, internally this was left exposed as a fair-faced concrete ceiling.

On the first floor a lightweight steel frame was used, detailed to achieve the gull-wing roof’s slim profile. Working in collaboration with the architect and engineer we were able to achieve this slim design by reducing the depth towards the edges and including stiffened notches through the steelwork, to accommodate and hide the roof gutters into the depth of the steel frame.

Project Details

Client: Canoe Lake Leisure Ltd
Location: Southsea, Portsmouth
Completion Date: 2017
Area: 300 sqm
Construction Type: Masonry / in-situ concrete & steel frame
Architect: PAD studio
Structural Engineer: Eckersley O’Callaghan
Quantity Surveyor: APS Associates
Photo credit: Nigel Rigden
Awards:
RICS Awards, Community Benefit & Sports and Leisure 2018, shortlisted
Civic Trust Award, 2018, regional finalist
RIBA South Regional Award 2018, won
RIBA Client of the Year Award 2018, won
World Architecture Festival Award, Sport – Completed Building 2018, finalist
Portsmouth Society Design Awards, Best New Building 2018, won
Galvanizers Association Galvanizing Awards 2019, finalist