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Crystal Palace National Sports Centre Ledrington Rd, London, SE19 2BB After the LCC decided in 1951 to designate Crystal Palace as a site for ‘education, recreation, commerce, art and industry,’ designs for the National Sports Centre were begun. It was built in 1960-4 to designs by the architects of the LCC under Sir Leslie Martin, one of the most important British post-war architects who contributed to such ground-breaking projects as the Royal Festival Hall on London’s South Bank. The National Sports Centre was Britain’s first purpose-built sports centre and until today houses one of the very few Olympic sized pools in South England. The building was celebrated at the time for its architecturally innovative design and identified by the Architectural Review in May 1967 as the ‘finest of its kind’ in Britain. In the NSC the two disciplines of architecture and engineering are unified in an outstanding manner – while the interior reveals a skilfully constructed structure, the ‘skin’ of the building makes the NSC a highly aesthetic example of 1960s architecture. The multi-functional hall, consisting of a fifty metre swimming pool and a sports hall, is supported by a concrete ‘A’-frame, which is the spine of the building and allows for an open interior and breathtaking views across the entire hall. The use of both of pre-stressed concrete (allowing for the slim and elegant beams forming the facades) and concrete was revolutionary at the time. The outside is defined by unusually long and narrow concrete beams that form a well-proportioned and rhythmical exterior while the flying roof whose underside is clad beautifully with timber adds a sculptural quality to the building. The National Sports Centre was highly influential architecturally. It is a forerunner of other similar high-quality complexes, including the sports centres at Swiss Cottage in London and at the Coventry Central Baths. Historically the building is the most impressive example of a period of exceptional funding for sports and a potent symbol of civic pride. Its architecture impressively reflects the social policy of the early 1960s to support national recreation and sports. Sport England is the current leaseholder of the property but shows no inclination to carry out necessary maintenance works. The Greater London Authority has commissioned the London Development Agency to draw up plans for the future including the option of demolishing the sports centre and building new and smaller facilities at the other end of the park. The Council who own the site is in favour of the demolition plan. If this plan goes ahead, the main sportive and architectural attraction of Crystal Palace Park would be lost; furthermore, the carefully designed balance between the NSC and the close by arena would disappear. Also the accommodation buildings for athletes on site would become redundant – they are currently used and appreciated by international athletes who train at Crystal Palace. While the area around the NSC needs clearing, the building itself is in a reasonable state. The NSC is structurally sound. The concrete has aged well and is not in need of repairs, merely some cleaning. The interior is in a similar state – some tiles are missing and it could do with some restoration and repairs, notably in the pool area and the changing rooms. Nevertheless, the NSC is widely used by sports clubs of all kinds, including London based running and swimming clubs. Cordula Zeidler
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