Jellie Park Recreation & Sport Centre

Jellie Park Recreation and Sport Centre is Christchurch's only indoor-outdoor swimming complex.

The centre was the first to be developed under the Christchurch City Council’s Aquatic Facilities Plan.  It incorporates two 25-metre indoor pools, a 50-metre outdoor pool, teaching and toddlers’ pools, a gymnasium and aerobics suite, together with changing facilities. 

Designed to blend with its established park setting, the dominant themes are transparency and connection. The new pool hall is entirely glazed at ground level, the gym predominantly glazed, and both overlook a paved courtyard.  Activity at the centre is, therefore, always apparent, delivering a visual interconnection between the main spaces. 

At night, a halo of light surrounds the ‘floating’ pigeon hole joinery unit in the aerobics studio, counterpointing the more solid appearance of the concrete block wall on the opposite side of the wind lobby.  The foyer provides a generous reception and café space.  

Materials, finishes and detailing are necessarily robust for a building of this type – while still delivering a level of sophistication.  A generally neutral colour scheme compliments the laminated timber roof structure of the pool halls.  This calmness is then punctuated by strong and unexpected bursts of orange and pink in the changing rooms, hydro slide, aerobics studio, gym and the steam room, delivering a fun, friendly and inviting space.