Commonwealth Community Recreation Centre
The new facility adaptively reuses the 1978 stadium fitness centre, and revitalizes the once residual condition of the stadium grounds into a revitalized urban park and event destination – connecting neighborhoods through the site and reinforcing transit. The project is designed for shared use between community members, Edmonton Eskimo’s pro football team, and stadium operations — with numerous event overlays. Three primary building masses – Field House, Aquatics and Gymnasium – respond to the dynamic triangulated geometries of the site and frame a central lobby space, ‘the Social Heart’. These in turn define three exterior forecourt spaces.
The new facility adaptively reuses the 1978 stadium fitness centre, and revitalizes the vacant stadium ground into an urban park and community destination. The project is designed for shared use between community members, Edmonton Eskimo’s pro football team, and stadium operations — with numerous event overlays.
Three primary building masses – Field House, Aquatics and Gymnasium – respond to the dynamic triangulated geometries of the site and frame a central lobby space, ‘the Social Heart’. These in turn define three exterior forecourt spaces. The project’s planning consolidates the once residual condition of the site, interconnects the fabric of a distressed neighborhood, creates a year round community park, and draws the public from all three sides to a new social core. Park promenades are developed N–S and E–W through the building to connect community, transit, and the recreation centre.
Programming includes the 3 storey community centre: aquatics, fitness, recreation, community space, child care; and Eskimos: high performance field house, strength and conditioning centre, team rooms, and operations facility.
The project is designed to allow these three diverse groups to share their program specific amenities.
The Eskimos: use the community recreation centre pool, track, and fitness centre for player training and host game related events in the gymnasium and meeting places.
The Community: has joint use of the field house and use the Eskimos meeting and coaching rooms in the evening and off-seasons.
The Stadium Operations: hosts side-stage events in the field house, uses the recreation centre and Eskimos meeting and locker rooms for hosting and staging functions for concerts and athletic events.
