Canoe Lake Leisure Tennis Pavilion

“Create a Beacon for the Community” was our task at Court X. A place that local people can enjoy and use for a wide variety of physical and mental nourishment from Tennis to Yoga and for cultural enrichment from film screenings to life drawing classes. Create a place where people can meet, eat, drink and enjoy being a resident of Portsmouth and Southsea.

Working in a listed Park and Garden.

Achieving the project brief proved no easy task. Situated within a Listed Park no public buildings had been erected in this part of Southsea for over 40 years. Therefore the site is highly visible, and extensive consultation with the community and the local authority helped to set the parameters, manage expectations and test design options.

Project & Environmental Data

Project Info

  • Location: Portsmouth, Hampshire
  • Cost: £1.1m
  • Designation: Listed Park
  • Collaborators: RICE projects
  • Image Credit: Nigel Rigden & Richard Chivers

Awards

2019 ArchDaily: Building of the Year Awards, Shortlisted
2019 Galvanizers Association: Galvanizing Awards, Shortlisted
2018 Civic Trust Awards, Regional Finalist
2018 AJ Architecture Awards, Finalist
2018 RIBA Regional Award, Winner
2018 RIBA Client of the Year, Winner
2018 The Portsmouth Society Design Awards: Best New Building, Winner
2018 World Architecture Festival, Finalist

Canoe Lake Leisure: canoelakeleisure.co.uk

Environmental Data

  • Energy Efficiency
    1 2
  • Insulation
    1 2 3 4 5 6
  • Thermal Mass
    1 2 3 4
  • Airtightness
    1 2
  • Embodied Carbon
    1 2 3 4 5 6
  • Heating/Hot Water
    Electric Gas Ground Source Air Source
  • Solar Thermal
    Yes No
  • Rain Water Harvest
    Yes No
  • Ventilation
    MVHR Natural
  • Energy Storage
    Yes No
Community building for physical and mental nourishment

At PAD studio we are respectful of community and environments, celebrating history and tradition, diversity and uniqueness. We are mindful of our responsibility to nature, and how we impact this on both the sites we work with but also the wider environment. Sustainability is complex and we believe it should be considered from the outset and throughout the building’s lifecycle. This is automatic in the way we approach design and we have a wealth of experience in building award-winning sustainable beautiful buildings.

We respect our clients and their needs, and those who work with us throughout the process – everyone plays a valuable part. Respecting the uniqueness of each team member within PAD studio and practicing respect in all aspects of our work and not just through the buildings we create.

Driving the design was the desire to ensure that tennis was viewed as inclusive and accessible to all. Positioned immediately adjacent to a busy public footpath, the new pavilion acts as a large ‘shop window’ showcasing the activities happening within. Framing views of the newly restored grass tennis courts behind. Spaces are layered offering dynamic and overlapping views. At night the large areas of glazing provide a theatrical quality to the activities, as they become performed on an illuminated stage. Putting the activities on view extends an invitation to participate. The success of this approach has been demonstrated by the take-up in annual membership which exceeded club targets by 400% in the first year. A nominal fee for social membership is charged to help manage the Pavilion’s use and upkeep, ensuring that this remains a building for the many.

The success of this approach has been demonstrated by the take-up in annual membership which exceeded club targets by 400% in the first year. A nominal fee for social membership is charged to help manage the Pavilion’s use and upkeep, ensuring that this remains a building for the many.

The heavy solidity of the masonry ground floor contrasts with a delicate glass upper level housing bar, café and viewing terrace. A large overhanging roof offers much needed protection from sun during the summer months, and in the winter provides a covered seating area with protection from the rain with fantastic views of Southsea and the tennis courts to both sides of the building.

Community use for group classes of yoga

‘... one of the best buildings to be built in Portsmouth for many years.’
. . . The Portsmouth Society . . .

The result is a building that has been widely recognised for its civic and architectural significance. Amongst several other accolades, the Pavilion won two RIBA awards, The Portsmouth Society ‘Best Building in Portsmouth’ award and has been commended as ‘one of the best buildings to be built in Portsmouth for many years.’ The Lawn Tennis Association have recognised the buildings importance within the professional tennis circuit, now hosting an annual ranked professional tennis tournament (The Aegon Southsea Trophy) at the venue for both men and women.

“The Aegon Southsea Trophy really is Portsmouth at its best. Local schools, local people and world class tennis players all coming together… The team at Canoe Lake have worked so hard on this facility, which benefits both the local community and athletes in preparation for Wimbledon.”

. . . Stephen Morgan, MP for Portsmouth and Southsea . . .