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Bath Chronicle - 17 October 2005 VISION FOR FUTURE OF REC by Ben Murch At a public meeting last month, four key members of the BathSport group put forward their ideas - which include demolishing the Pavilion, Bath Sports and Leisure Centre and the current Bath Rugby grandstand, and moving them all to a single purpose-built complex - to the city's residents for the first time. Now architect Keith Bradley, of world-renowned Bath practice Feilden Clegg Bradley, who has drawn up the plans for BathSport, has explained his vision. He first started thinking about the possibility of revitalising the "green lung" of Bath while working on a scheme to replace Bath Cricket Club's pavilion and training facilities with a modern, curved building, reminiscent of Georgian crescents, which has already been granted planning permission. Mr Bradley believes this could be the first step in the creation of a unified green space, spreading from the cricket club over to Parade Gardens and the Rec, with a purpose-built complex combining the sports centre, rugby ground, function rooms, cafes, restaurants and even a hotel along the edges. Named the Bath Royal Forum, and inspired by abandoned plans by Georgian architect John Wood the Younger, the building would be modern, faced in a mixture of stone and glass to give views of the activities inside, and built to the proportions of the Georgian terrace along North Parade. Its edges would run from the site of the Pavilion and along North Parade Road up to the riverside, then along the riverside as far as the edge of the current rugby stand. Mr Bradley said that like the Colosseum in Rome, it could modestly match the city's architectural style from the outside, and open into a large, dramatic public space inside. The roof could be lined with photovoltaic cells, which would not only produce green electricity, but would look like beautiful stained glass, he said. There could also be cafes and restaurants around the edge of the roof, and a walkway to give people access to unparalleled views across the whole city. Land between the edge of the building and the riverside would be graded down in a terrace to provide somewhere for people to sit and relax, while a footbridge could be built linking the area to Parade Gardens. Another sweeping footbridge could be built down from Orange Grove, through Parade Gardens and across to the land currently occupied by Bath Rugby. Mr Bradley added: "One of the really important things is linking up all the green space and making it accessible. "A lot of people come into the city on the train, or if they are going to see the rugby, come into town first - then you get the fiasco where hordes of people stumble down the tiny steps at Pulteney Bridge or down from North Parade Road. "This could create a much grander entrance from the city." The existing rugby stadium would be removed, and that area of the Rec landscaped to create open green space with flowers, children's play areas and places for people to sit. Mr Bradley stressed that all leisure activities, not just rugby or sport, would be key to the whole development, and the building would contain function rooms which could be used for parties and events, at least one of which would be as big as the Pavilion. A hotel, or even some private accommodation, would also be included in the building so the scheme could pay for itself. A major private backer would be needed to make the scheme a reality, after which it would take about three years to get fully designed, approved and built. Bath Chronicle - 17 October 2005VISION FOR FUTURE OF REC by Ben Murch At a public meeting last month, four key members of the BathSport group put forward their ideas - which include demolishing the Pavilion, Bath Sports and Leisure Centre and the current Bath Rugby grandstand, and moving them all to a single purpose-built complex - to the city's residents for the first time. Now architect Keith Bradley, of world-renowned Bath practice Feilden Clegg Bradley, who has drawn up the plans for BathSport, has explained his vision. He first started thinking about the possibility of revitalising the "green lung" of Bath while working on a scheme to replace Bath Cricket Club's pavilion and training facilities with a modern, curved building, reminiscent of Georgian crescents, which has already been granted planning permission. Mr Bradley believes this could be the first step in the creation of a unified green space, spreading from the cricket club over to Parade Gardens and the Rec, with a purpose-built complex combining the sports centre, rugby ground, function rooms, cafes, restaurants and even a hotel along the edges. Named the Bath Royal Forum, and inspired by abandoned plans by Georgian architect John Wood the Younger, the building would be modern, faced in a mixture of stone and glass to give views of the activities inside, and built to the proportions of the Georgian terrace along North Parade. Its edges would run from the site of the Pavilion and along North Parade Road up to the riverside, then along the riverside as far as the edge of the current rugby stand. Mr Bradley said that like the Colosseum in Rome, it could modestly match the city's architectural style from the outside, and open into a large, dramatic public space inside. The roof could be lined with photovoltaic cells, which would not only produce green electricity, but would look like beautiful stained glass, he said. There could also be cafes and restaurants around the edge of the roof, and a walkway to give people access to unparalleled views across the whole city. Land between the edge of the building and the riverside would be graded down in a terrace to provide somewhere for people to sit and relax, while a footbridge could be built linking the area to Parade Gardens. Another sweeping footbridge could be built down from Orange Grove, through Parade Gardens and across to the land currently occupied by Bath Rugby. Mr Bradley added: "One of the really important things is linking up all the green space and making it accessible. "A lot of people come into the city on the train, or if they are going to see the rugby, come into town first - then you get the fiasco where hordes of people stumble down the tiny steps at Pulteney Bridge or down from North Parade Road. "This could create a much grander entrance from the city." The existing rugby stadium would be removed, and that area of the Rec landscaped to create open green space with flowers, children's play areas and places for people to sit. Mr Bradley stressed that all leisure activities, not just rugby or sport, would be key to the whole development, and the building would contain function rooms which could be used for parties and events, at least one of which would be as big as the Pavilion. A hotel, or even some private accommodation, would also be included in the building so the scheme could pay for itself. A major private backer would be needed to make the scheme a reality, after which it would take about three years to get fully designed, approved and built.
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