Location Edmonton AB, Canada Client / operator City of Edmonton Architects GEC Architecture www.gecarchitecture.com Design team Peter Osborne (Partner-in-Charge), Andrew Tankard (Design Partner), Andy Afonso (Project Architect) Author Autumn Giberson Photos Michael Wach Official opening 1966 (construction) 2020 (rehabilitation) Construction costs CAD 12.6 million (EUR 8.8 million)
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ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK BONNIE DOON LEISURE CENTRE IN EDMONTON The Bonnie Doon Leisure Centre, with its iconic orange exterior, is a popular family recreation centre in Edmonton’s Dermott District Park. The city took advantage of the pool’s lengthy closure to undertake technical renovations and completed a major upgrade of the building’s public interiors. By redesigning the public interiors and surrounding park, the recreation centre appears to be a new facility for the community. GEC Architecture maintained its recognizable orange exterior. Built in 1966, the Bonnie Doon Leisure Centre was in poor condition and needed extensive refurbishment to bring it up to date. The project started with the replacement of the pool’s chlorination and filtration system and skimmers and was followed by a major renovation of the building‘s interior public spaces. The building was adapted to meet today‘s expectations for inclusive and universal access. The exterior walls were insulated and the appearance of the building was changed. A new,
contemporary experience has been created for users of the pool. Mechanical and electrical systems were upgraded to bring the building up to current building codes and safety standards. Damaged cast-in-place and precast concrete elements were restored and a new building envelope was constructed to create an energy-efficient building. Back to clean lines The original building had good premises – a simple square building with generous daylight sb 6/2021