Elite Athlete Centre and Hotel, Loughborough University
- Status
- Completed 2019
- Client
- Loughborough University
- Value
- £43m
- Procurement Method
- Design and Build
- Services
- Architect and Lead Consultant
- Scale
- 20,390m²
The Elite Athlete Centre is a world-class venue promoting rest, relaxation, nutrition and sporting excellence. Set in the heart of Loughborough University’s world-leading sports facilities, this inspiring high-performance environment offers aspirational space for athletes to be the best they can be.
- Status
- Completed 2019
- Client
- Loughborough University
- Value
- £43m
- Procurement Method
- Design and Build
- Services
- Architect and Lead Consultant
- Scale
- 20,390m²
The Elite Athlete Centre and Hotel is the first and only hotel in the UK designed specifically for athletes. It has been designed to incorporate purpose-built accommodation, altitude living and nutritional facilities, and sits as a part of a new student village with buildings and landscape working together to promote active lifestyles.
The buildings feature fully flexible spaces at ground level, allowing the university to adapt uses over time to suit its evolving needs. Currently configured as retail and amenity spaces, they can be easily converted to provide additional accommodation or ancillary spaces.
Courtyards between buildings provide active spaces for students. Buildings sit perpendicular to slope of topography, helping to maximise solar penetration into courtyards and minimise overshadowing, whilst providing a more gradual approach to the landscape by minimising steep slopes. Top floor of blocks stepped back to further enhance this and minimise the apparent mass of the residential blocks.
“The scheme cements Loughborough’s status as arguably the best training environment for elite athletes, rivalling other sporting institutions around the world.”
Carefully designed to provide a new ‘adaptable’ standard for disability athletes enabling the University to host disability camps and games, increasing opportunities for inclusive sport for all. The project comprises:
— Over 600 student bedrooms with associated sub-wardens flats, and a Wardens House
— Student Hub, a reception building with amenity spaces for students
— Elite Athletes Centre (EAC) incorporating 20 altitude rooms and nutritional facilities
— Active Landscape, creating an inclusive campus where activity is accessible to everyone. The initiative was strongly supported by Sport England and UK Sport.
The designs of the various buildings are complemented by an innovative landscape strategy across the site which removes boundaries between people and vehicles, whilst maximising visual connections with the adjacent sporting facilities and natural surroundings.
The development – which is managed by Imago Venues, the University’s award-winning conference, hotel and events brand – is the first of its kind in the UK, offering a holistic support environment for individuals and teams at both elite professional and dedicated amateur levels. It has been developed
David Morley Architects partner Andy Mytom commented “This world class complex’s combination of innovative features, bespoke amenities and flexible spaces sets a new international benchmark for athlete accommodation, further cementing Loughborough University’s position as an international centre of sporting excellence. From the outset we undertook a comprehensive consultation process ensuring the needs of today’s and tomorrow’s athletes, and their trainers, are fully catered for and anticipated. This is the latest project David Morley Architects has delivered for the University and we’re delighted to continue to enhance the lives of their students, staff and visitors through our designs for this landmark project.”
