The new sports centre complex comprises three linked pavilions, with a six-court sports hall and a six-lane, 25m swimming pool flanking a two-storey central pavilion housing the reception, changing rooms, viewing galleries, a strength and conditioning suite, gym and an exercise studio that can function as two workout areas via a bi-folding partition. The project included the building of six new tennis courts and three cricket nets.

“Our vision for the design was to create a new building that had excellent visual connections between indoors and outdoors to encourage physical activity among pupils, while seamlessly connecting the old facilities with the new,” says partner David Morley.

As such, the swimming pool has glazing on three sides, large windows in the gym give views over the grounds and users can see into both the sports hall and swimming pool from the reception.

“We have invested more than £50m over 10 years to enhance our teaching and learning facilities and the new sports complex is the final piece in the jigsaw. Sport is a very important part of King’s offering. The school has grown exponentially over the years and with over 1,400 students our existing facilities needed to be refreshed and extended,” says Anna Maria Clarke, Bursar at King’s.