The Dome, Bessacarr, Doncaster

Summary

Leisure centre. Designed in 1986 to 1989 by Faulkner-Brown Hendy Watkinson Stonor for Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council. The structural engineer is FJ Samuely and Partners, the structural steelwork is by Booth Steelworks, Westbury Tubular Structures, and the polished concrete masonry is by Forticrete.

Description

MATERIALS: the building is constructed with a structural steel framework of triangular steel lattice trusses (7.8m centres) supported between a rigid structural spine and circular steel columns (some clad in masonry), with external walls of banded, polished concrete blockwork masonry and curtain-wall glazing. A central circular atrium and a smaller circular drum on the south side of the building have steel frameworks with banded, polished masonry cladding.

PLAN: the building is aligned east-west with the four principal areas arranged around a massive circular atrium known as the forum. The main west entrance across a bridge enters a pedestrian mall running along the building spine to the forum. The mall separates the semi-circular leisure pools area (south) and semi-circular leisure ice rink (north). A small, semi-circular snack bar area opens off the north side of the mall. Beyond, a circular water flume tower rises through the centre of the mall with the two flumes twisting overhead to the east, a bridge entering the forum at first-floor level and curving ramps down to the ice rink foyer and the ground floor of the forum. The main ground-floor and first-floor spaces can be accessed from the forum, the latter via a perimeter walkway. It can also be directly entered by an external south entrance. On the east side of the forum are two large rectangular halls. The events sports hall (south) and the gym hall [formerly the bowls hall] (north) are separated by a two-storey area containing various activities, such as a cycling studio and changing rooms on the ground floor, and a dance studio and bar area [formerly a snooker arcade] on the first floor, with spine corridors to access the rear of the events sports hall, first-floor balcony and viewing rooms. On the south side of the leisure pools is a circular health suite (not presently in use) reached by a bridge over the pools. On the north side of the forum is the first-floor Icebreaker Bar [formerly the function room], a smaller bar and WCs, also accessible externally via steps and a semi-circular terrace. On the east side of the building is a curved row of five squash courts flanked by a fitness room [formerly a staff office] with a bar on the first floor [formerly a staff room], and the boiler house.

EXTERIOR: the building roof is stepped to accommodate the differing heights of the varied internal spaces with a triangular structural spine running east-west and triangular lattice roof trusses sloping slightly down to each side. At the centre a large circular drum projects faced in bands of polished cream and grey masonry blocks with a smaller glazed dome to the centre. The exposed steel components are painted white.
The long north elevation faces Bawtry Road (A638) with Doncaster Racecourse on the north side of the road. A steel lattice edge beam links the triangular ends of the lattice trusses, which project above the roof level to give a serrated profile. The truss ends are glazed and rest on top of circular steel columns with flared column heads of three steel I-sections with circular perforations, which stand flush with the wall face. The bays between the columns have rectangular panels of polished masonry blocks in horizontal cream and grey bands with coping of smaller, darker grey blocks, some at corners with relief circles. Above the masonry panels and below the lattice edge beam is a slightly recessed, continuous strip of curtain-wall glazing with vertical strips of glazing carried down behind the columns.

From the left-hand end, the gym hall is of five bays. The masonry panels in the second and fourth bays have doorways with a flush architrave of smaller, darker grey blocks with expanded bases and relief circles to outer corners and bases. In front of the forum drum the roofline of bays six to nine steps up. Abutting bays six and seven is a semi-circular terrace raised on steel columns (the ground floor on the right-hand side enclosed by louvred panels) with an external steel staircase to the front. The staircase is made of perforated I-section beams with a half landing supported on a tubular column structure and has a balustrade of glass panels supported by perforated steel stanchions with tubular handrails. The balustrade continued round the right-hand side of the terrace, with a wall of banded masonry round the left-hand side. A recessed central entrance doorway opens off the terrace. To the right of bay nine the roofline steps down and the wall is curved in a semicircle of nine bays (ice rink), the outermost bay curving round onto the west elevation, with a projecting semicircle to bays thirteen and fourteen. There is a similar doorway with flush architrave to bay eleven and a wider doorway to bay fourteen.

In the centre of the west elevation is the main entrance approached across a bridge over a dry moat. The bridge deck rests on perforated I-section steel beams welded to two cross beams which project to the sides and are set through four circular columns faced in banded polished masonry. It has similar balustrades of glass panels with perforated steel stanchions and tubular handrails. The entrance has a high, triangular open porch with a triangulated perforated steel structural frame, perforated steel I-section bargeboards and a glazed roof, which is a continuation of the triangular, glazed spine. The first set of frame beams are bolted to the top of the inner pair of bridge columns. The glazed entrance doors are set in a glazed curtain wall. To the left of the bridge is a curved wall (ice rink) with stepped, banded masonry, stepped curtain wall glazing above and curved steel lattice edge beam. To the right, recessed further back, is a similar curved wall of banded masonry and curtain wall glazing (leisure pools), with a straight roofline formed by a triangular lattice roof truss projecting south, covered by interlocking vertical metal sheets. Standing separately is a large circular flue of banded masonry.

The long south elevation overlooks grass and a recent cycle track (replacing the original shaped lake). The triangular lattice roof trusses on this elevation project above the roof level and overhang the wall plane with undercut, prow-like profiles. They are supported on freestanding, circular columns faced in banded masonry with overhanging triangular heads of I-section perforated steel and triangulated tubular steel frames. The steel lattice edge beam has an angled, undercut profile and is stepped in places where the trusses are stepped.

From the left-hand end the nine bays of the leisure pools are curved in a semi-circle with a projecting drum to the fifth bay. To the left of the drum is stepped, banded masonry with curtain wall glazing above, a triangular oriel window, a triangular, glazed doorway with external steel steps with perforated I-section strings and tubular handrails, and full-height curtain walling. The circular drum is raised on freestanding circular steel columns (painted white) and surmounted by a second drum with a partial terrace and a central domed roof with a raised dome light. The drums are faced in horizontal cream and pink bands. The lower drum has darker grey blocks forming coping incorporating two large open circles on the east and west sides and an impost band continued as voussoirs over three round-headed doorways on the south side, the doorways separated by engaged pilasters. The lower drum also has horizontal rectangular windows to each side. An external spiral staircase rises to a steel balcony set on slender circular columns in front of the three doorways and to a walkway across to the upper terrace. The balustrades are of glass panels in steel frames. The recessed ground floor has curtain wall glazing on a low wall of cream and grey bands with a dark grey sill band. To the right of the drum is stepped banded masonry, curtain wall glazing and a triangular, glazed doorway with similar external steps leading down to an organically shaped outdoor pool, which also links to the indoor water. The pool has a large fibreglass rock surrounded by water and a flagged terrace in front. Recessed in the tenth and eleventh bays is the curved, banded wall of the forum. An oversized entrance in the tenth bay has glazed double doors set in a glazed screen flanked by giant engaged columns supporting a glazed, triangular steel pediment. In front is a checkerboard pathway of dark and light grey flags. To the right the six-bay events sports hall projects forward. The triangular trusses are supported by a row of seven columns in front of the south wall joined by the angled lattice edge beam with a larger-scale lattice band above joining the apexes of the roof trusses. The recessed wall has banded masonry with curtain wall glazing above. There is an external spiral staircase to a first-floor doorway in the thirteenth bay and two doorways to the right with flush architraves. The seventeenth, right-hand bay is recessed with a loading bay doorway with roller shutter and an adjacent pedestrian doorway.

The east elevation has banded masonry to the triangular end of the building spine. To the left the triangular lattice roof truss of the events sports hall slopes down to the left-hand (south-east) corner, covered by interlocking vertical metal sheets. It is supported by six engaged, semi-circular columns faced in banded masonry with painted steel heads and a freestanding column at the outer corner (one of the row to the south elevation of the hall). The first bay is recessed and the second bay has a full-width opening with a roller shutter and curtain wall glazing above (painted over). The remaining bays have stepped banded masonry with stepped curtain wall glazing above (painted over) and central double doors with flush architraves - the west return elevation of the hall has similar engaged columns, stepped wall and curtain wall glazing and central double doorways. To the right of the building spine the triangular lattice roof truss over the gym hall slopes down to the right-hand (north-east) corner, also covered in interlocking vertical metal sheets. The wall has stepped banded masonry with stepped curtain wall glazing above and a vertical strip of glazing at the outer corner. There are two double doors with flush architraves.

Projecting out below the building spine is a single-storey, mostly flat-roofed outshot curving round to the south with a semi-circular outer end (boiler house). The banded masonry walls have square indents marking out the five squash courts on the outer, northern side and semi-circular indents on the inner, southern side, containing steel downpipes. Both sides are mainly blind, but the northern side of the two-storey former staff area (adjacent to the main building) has square windows on both floors, some irregular curtain wall glazing and a long triangular roof light, with a later, reconfigured side entrance in the corner. The southern side has square windows on the first floor and a wide doorway with flush architrave below. There are a number of doorways on both sides, some with flush architraves; those for the boiler house have roller shutters. Standing adjacent to the end of the boiler house are three tall, circular silos of rivetted steel sheets (the lower parts now painted with cycling scenes).

INTERIOR: the overall layout of the leisure centre remains as built, though there has been some minor reconfiguration of ancillary spaces and some refurbishment, most noticeable in the bars and snack bar. The structural steel framework is exposed throughout (painted white) and the walls are mostly of painted blockwork, with polished cream and grey banded masonry used in some public spaces.

The massive circular forum has walls of banded masonry and a chequerboard floor of black and white tiles with a wide outer band of black tiles. In the centre are four giant circular columns faced in masonry bands with black bases and capitals. Steel stanchions project from the top of each column with corbels to each side of four steel I-sections with circular perforations supporting a circular ring beam and forming four arches. On the ring beam is a drum faced in banded masonry with a glazed, radial network of beams and purlins spanning out to meet the perimeter steelwork. Around the perimeter of the forum is an encircling first-floor level walkway with regular circular balconies joined by decks resting on perforated I-section steel beams. The balconies are set on circular columns and both are faced in banded masonry. The decks have glass panel balustrades supported by perforated steel stanchions with tubular handrails. On the east side a larger, semi-circular landing projects in front of the walkway. It is set on a circular metal column with an expanded, tubular framework head standing in front of the banded masonry column. To each side is a flight of steps with perforated I-section steel strings, half landings supported on lower steel columns with expanded tubular heads, and similar glass and steel balustrades. Opening off the walkway are two large round-headed archways - to the mall (west) and the events sports hall balcony (east). They are flanked by engaged semi-circular columns supporting steel semi-circular arch heads with stepped voussoirs patterned with indented circles. The pediment of the external entrance (south) has a similarly detailed steel triangular head. Other single and double doorways on the ground floor and on the north side of the first floor (Icebreaker Bar) are square-headed with architraves of darker grey blocks.

The mall contains the triangulated structural frames of perforated steel I-section beams forming the building spine. They are bolted on the top of circular bases and columns faced in banded masonry. It is top-lit by the triangular spine and clerestory windows in a central, raised section of roof. The blockwork side walls have polished grey masonry plinths with large windows with multi-pane glazing (presently partially covered by applied opaque sheets). Set into the north side wall is an engraved marble plaque commemorating the Queen inaugurating the leisure park on 12 December 1986 (and a later small plaque to one side commemorating her Platinum Jubilee in 2022), with a matching plaque set into the south wall commemorating the official opening of The Dome by HRH The Princess of Wales on 29 November 1989 (and a small, circular plaque to one side in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales, 1961 to 1997). The glass brick circular flume tower (originally clear glazed in a metal framework) with original glazing at the top (with applied opaque sheets) contains a spiral staircase winding round a circular steel column. Curved lower-level ramps with stepped plinths wind down to the ground floor towards the east end, and a narrower bridge with glass and steel balustrades connects with the forum walkway. Above, two flumes (blue and pink) wind through the exposed steelwork before entering the leisure pools.

The leisure pools are arranged in an arc with a variety of differently sized and shaped pools laid out at different heights separated by low, mosaic-tiled walls and triangular planters (no longer planted with palm trees). The layout incorporates features such as a lazy river, fountain, waterfalls, slides and flumes, and hot tubs. A curved viewing gallery area is entered from the mall, with changing rooms beneath at ground-floor level and a bridge to reach the banded masonry, circular health suite which is raised on columns above the pools. The bridge deck and string of the original flight of steps down to the pools have perforated I-section steel beams, perforated stanchions and tubular handrails to the balustrades, either with glass panels or horizontal steel rods.

The leisure ice rink is entered from the ground floor. It has organically shaped upper and lower ice pads linked by shallow sloping ramps. The changing area to one side and the WCs have been refurbished.

The events sports hall has a wide, first-floor balcony along the length of the inner (north) wall with a balustrade of glass panels in a metal frame incorporating circular-pierced metal panels and engaged semi-circular columns of banded masonry to the rear wall supporting the triangular lattice roof trusses. The walls of the bays between have geometric shapes of lighter blocks, with pairs of viewing box windows to the second, third and fourth bays. The first bay and east end wall have double doorways with flush architraves of darker blocks. At ground-floor level the hall has a series of large doorways with roller shutters along the outer south wall, with small, horizontal rectangular windows above lighting and ancillary/storage area.

History

In the 1980s Doncaster’s economy, traditionally based upon coal mining, languished, exacerbated by the Miners’ Strike of 1984 to 1985. Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council decided that a new approach was needed and saw investing in leisure and tourism as a catalyst for regeneration, drawing in people from further afield, making the town a more attractive location for new business and industry, while at the same time fulfilling a social function by providing new amenities for the local population.

The Council already owned a 130 hectare disused aerodrome site on the eastern edge of Doncaster bounded by Doncaster racecourse to the north, Potteric Carr nature reserve to the south and Doncaster Rovers’ football ground to the west. The architects’ practice Faulkner-Brown Hendy Watkinson Stonor was commissioned to investigate the potential of the site for leisure use. This led to an overall site planning and development strategy and the design of The Dome, a massive indoor leisure complex forming a focal point at the north end of the site, near the racecourse. To its immediate west and running north-south a wavy pseudo-natural feature known as the “Doncaster Wall” led into the park (of which only a fragment now remains), with man-made lakes and planting forming part of the landscaping. The new Doncaster Leisure Park was inaugurated by Queen Elizabeth II on 12 December 1986.

The leisure centre was one of the largest and most comprehensive leisure centres in Europe. It was designed as an eye-catching Post-Modernist “pleasure dome” of banded, polished blockwork and exposed steel framework creating elevations of deliberately contrasting texture and geometry. The more formal north elevation responded to the clearly defined site boundary and manicured racecourse, while the south elevation was more fragmented and informal, responding to the park landscaping; the adjoining shaped lake was filled in when a new cycle track to the south was developed and opened in 2019. The blockwork was developed over a two-year period jointly by the architects and the masonry company Forticrete. Wet cast masonry with dolomite aggregates was machine-polished on the exposed face to give the appearance of granite or marble; the decorative effect intended to be reminiscent of the polished finishes of Italian Renaissance buildings. The exposed steel framework utilised triangular lattice trusses which could be stepped over spaces of differing heights, with the triangulated steel structure of the mall acting as a backbone.

The building was designed to be “open” and welcoming to encourage casual visitors. The four principal areas are arranged around the hub of a grand cylindrical forum. A free-form “leisure ice” rink was paired with a “leisure waters” complex of free-form pools bisected by a publicly accessible mall from the west main entrance offering tantalising views into the activities to either side and with a pair of coiled flumes surging overhead, advertised as the longest flume ride in Britain on opening. The free-form pools were of differing depths cascading into one another to give a sense of privacy and relaxation, with a variety of fun features such as bubbling water beds, geysers and fountains. Encircling the pools was a desert landscape of palm trees and deckchairs. There was a linked free-form, heated outdoor pool, which although quite common in Germany and the Netherlands, was one of the first of its kind in this country. The ice rink was an entirely new approach, unprecedented in Britain, applying the free-form principles of leisure pools with two free-form ice pads at different levels linked by two gently sloping ramps. Here, the rinks were surrounded by conifers, with a café terrace. Full advantage was taken of the differing thermal conditions with the waste heat from the ice-rink chillers used to heat the pool water. On the east side were paired bowls and sports halls; the sports hall was designed flexibly to enable its use for events such as concerts, shows and exhibitions. Other activities included a health suite with the exotic sounding Irish/Roman saunas, an archery room, a snooker arcade, fitness and dance studio, and an attached arc of five squash courts, intended to define an outdoor amphitheatre.

The Dome was officially opened on 29 November 1989 by Diana, HRH The Princess of Wales.

The building remains in use as a leisure centre and the layout is largely unaltered with the four principal areas and forum remaining, though the bowls hall is now used as a gym; the circular health suite remains but is presently unused. Some areas, such as the function room (now the Icebreaker Bar) and another smaller bar, have been refurbished, and some ancillary spaces between the two halls have been reconfigured or changed use, such as the archery room and the snooker arcade which is now a bar lounge.

The Newcastle architects’ practice of Williamson, Faulkner Brown and Partners was founded in 1962 when Harry Faulkner Brown returned from Canada where he had been living and practising since the Second World War; it was subsequently known as Faulkner-Brown Hendy Watkinson Stonor. The practice is well-known for its library designs, a number of which have been listed, and, following a commission to design the Lightfoot Sports Centre (now the Walker Activity Dome) in 1965, also established a reputation for designing leisure centres. The Dome was their largest and most ambitious leisure centre at that time.

The structural steel framework was engineered by the structural engineering firm of F J Samuely & Partners, who had a distinguished history of collaboration with notable architects, designing innovative structural systems. Felix Samuely had designed the structure of Powell and Moya’s Skylon design for the Festival of Britain (1951), and senior partner Frank Newby later worked with James Stirling and James Gowan on their Engineering Building at Leicester University (Grade II*). The firm had previously worked with Faulkner Brown’s at their Blackburn leisure centre, which had windows set in a wavy wall, echoing the shape of the leisure pool.

Reasons for Listing

The Dome, Doncaster, of 1986 to 1989 by Faulkner-Brown Hendy Watkinson Stonor for Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

Architectural interest:

* built in the late 1980s, the building is an exemplar of leisure centres designed by Faulkner-Brown Hendy Watkinson Stonor, the culmination of a long specialism by the practice, who were pioneers in the development of this new building type after the 1960 Wolfenden Report on Sport and the Community;

* an architecturally striking and inventive building ambitious both in scale and appearance, demonstrating a playful eclecticism blending Post-Modern motifs and High-Tech structural steel frame to evoke its role as a destination location dedicated to the provision of leisure and recreational fun, a distinct aspect of late-C20 popular culture;

* the polished polychromatic banded walls, reminiscent of Renaissance buildings like Siena Cathedral, used blockwork developed for the building by the architects and masonry company Forticrete, while the dramatic steel frame of triangular lattice trusses was engineered by F J Samuely & Partners, who had a distinguished history of collaboration with notable C20 architects;

* the largely unaltered layout is imaginatively designed around a huge circular central atrium, with a welcoming, open mall bisecting semi-circular spaces containing leisure pool and ice venues balanced by two large opposing halls with an attached curved row of squash courts;

* the arc of free-form pools of differing shapes and depths cascading into one another with fun water features, such as waterfalls, fountains and flumes interspaced with in-built planters, is a particularly sophisticated example of a leisure pool; a concept which the architects had been instrumental in originally developing, and here linked to a free-form heated outdoor pool, one of the first in the country;

* the attention to quality of internal finish and built-in flexibility of use has enabled the leisure centre to successfully continue to offer visitors a varied and up-to-date programme of sports and cultural events.

Historic interest:

* it is an excellent late-C20 example of the use of leisure and tourism to drive economic regeneration in an area with a declining historic economy, in this case the coal industry, attracting over a million visitors a year upon opening;

* at the time of construction it was the largest leisure centre in Europe, widely published both nationally and internationally, and winning awards from RIBA (1991) and the International Olympic Committee and International Association for Sports and Leisure Facilities (1993).

External Links

Historic England Listing

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British Listed Buildings

History in Structure

The Dome

A Grade II Listed Building in Bessacarr, Doncaster

Coordinates

Summary

Description

History

Reasons for Listing

External Links

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