Bradford West Gwillimbury Leisure Centre

Bradford, ON
Construction Cost: $33.78 million (Canadian)
Area / Square Feet: 150,000
Occupancy Date: May 2012

The Bradford West Gwillimbury Leisure Centre was planned and built as the main component of an overall civic campus to meet the needs of the community’s expanding population. This campus is a greenfield development, and — in addition to the 150,000-square-foot leisure center — includes a 40,000-square-foot library; a new running track for the adjacent high school; a park featuring a skate trail, a small outdoor theater and a skateboard park; and a future 50,000-square-foot administration building.

The use of light defines this hub of physical activity and community gathering. The light-colored exterior palette of metal panels and architectural block reflects natural light, and the glazing, skylights and translucent curtain walls allow light in during the day and emit an inviting glow during long winter nights.

The central light-filled circulation spine achieves the owner’s goals of creating a striking facility that the public understands immediately upon entering. This main space affords generous visual connections to the four major program areas: an NHL-size twin-pad facility, a pool complex, a double gymnasium and community service spaces. Punches of playful color mark washroom entries, a child-minding area, and the pool control and showers.