Gym re-development completed
THE £3m refurbishment project at Ponds Forge International Sports Centre has been completed – providing the residents of Sheffield with the city’s largest gym.
Sheffield architects Race Cottam Associates worked with Sheffield International Venues on the contemporary refurbishment of the gym at Ponds Forge, creating a new 1,250 sq metre facility for the city.
The project has provided the residents of Sheffield with a bigger, air conditioned gym, spacious exercise studios, an improved health suite and treatment rooms.
The new Fitness Unlimited gym includes more than 130 stations and high spec fitness equipment to provide an improved service for more than 6,500 Sheffield fitness users.
Other key redevelopment details include a cardio theatre, spin studio, two air conditioned group fitness studios with sprung floors and a new spa including reception, sauna, steam room, showers and relaxation area.
Ponds Forge ISC was designed by the architects Faulkner Browns and opened in 1991 as a venue for the World Student Games, which the city hosted that year.
Since then it has hosted numerous high profile swimming competitions and other sporting events, including Channel Four’s celebrity show ‘The Games’.
Race Cottam architect Tim Robinson said: “Ponds Forge is one of the country’s best known sporting facilities and we were proud to be invited to update the designs of Faulkner Brown’s initial quality development. The project was carried out in a challenging live environment, ensuring a major public building remained in use whilst construction work took place. The result is a contemporary public facility which is now Sheffield’s biggest gym and is evidence of the practice’s growing reputation in the leisure design sector.”
Steve Brailey, SIV chief executive said: “Ponds Forge is a key player in helping to provide a vast range of health benefits through sport. We are delighted with the completion of Race Cottam’s plans, which mean we can meet the ever-rising expectations of customers for quality and value for money and competition from other swim and fitness providers in the city.”
