Incorporating a 25m swimming pool, learner pool, sports hall, fitness suite and dance studio, the Client brief was to create an award winning contemporary building making economical use of land provided. This has resulted in a compact and distinctive design which boasts several construction firsts providing Durham with a modern and lasting building. The concept for the scheme is derived from the overall planning concept and in particular the topography of the city. The sports hall, the most imposing part of the scheme has been deliberately placed to the rear of the site in order that this ‘tumbling’ concept can be realised. The large protrusions and overhangs of scheme Echo Durham’s street scenes. Narrow and fragmented avenues reveal intriguing juxtapositions that constantly change and deliver a fractured appearance. These physical connections maintain a sequence throughout the city that is extremely important to Durham’s character and this design.