The Dome

The Dome

The Dome is a leisure centre designed between 1986 and 1989 by Faulkner-Brown Hendy Watkinson Stonor for Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council. The structural engineer is FJ Samuely and Partners, the structural steelwork is by Booth Steelworks and Westbury Tubular Structures, and the polished concrete masonry is by Forticrete.

The building is constructed with a structural steel framework of triangular steel lattice trusses at 7.8-metre centres supported between a rigid structural spine and circular steel columns, some clad in masonry. External walls are of banded, polished concrete blockwork masonry and curtain-wall glazing. A central circular atrium and a smaller circular drum on the south side of the building have steel frameworks with banded, polished masonry cladding.

The building is aligned east-west with the four principal areas arranged around a massive circular atrium known as the forum. The main west entrance across a bridge enters a pedestrian mall running along the building spine to the forum. The mall separates the semi-circular leisure pools area to the south and semi-circular leisure ice rink to the north. A small, semi-circular snack bar area opens off the north side of the mall. Beyond, a circular water flume tower rises through the centre of the mall with the two flumes twisting overhead to the east, a bridge entering the forum at first-floor level and curving ramps down to the ice rink foyer and the ground floor of the forum. The main ground-floor and first-floor spaces can be accessed from the forum, the latter via a perimeter walkway. The forum can also be directly entered by an external south entrance. On the east side of the forum are two large rectangular halls. The events sports hall to the south and the gym hall (formerly the bowls hall) to the north are separated by a two-storey area containing various activities, such as a cycling studio and changing rooms on the ground floor, and a dance studio and bar area (formerly a snooker arcade) on the first floor, with spine corridors to access the rear of the events sports hall, first-floor balcony and viewing rooms. On the south side of the leisure pools is a circular health suite (not presently in use) reached by a bridge over the pools. On the north side of the forum is the first-floor Icebreaker Bar (formerly the function room), a smaller bar and toilets, also accessible externally via steps and a semi-circular terrace. On the east side of the building is a curved row of five squash courts flanked by a fitness room (formerly a staff office) with a bar on the first floor (formerly a staff room), and the boiler house.

The building roof is stepped to accommodate the differing heights of the varied internal spaces with a triangular structural spine running east-west and triangular lattice roof trusses sloping slightly down to each side. At the centre a large circular drum projects faced in bands of polished cream and grey masonry blocks with a smaller glazed dome to the centre. The exposed steel components are painted white.

The long north elevation faces Bawtry Road (A638) with Doncaster Racecourse on the north side of the road. A steel lattice edge beam links the triangular ends of the lattice trusses, which project above the roof level to give a serrated profile. The truss ends are glazed and rest on top of circular steel columns with flared column heads of three steel I-sections with circular perforations, which stand flush with the wall face. The bays between the columns have rectangular panels of polished masonry blocks in horizontal cream and grey bands with coping of smaller, darker grey blocks, some at corners with relief circles. Above the masonry panels and below the lattice edge beam is a slightly recessed, continuous strip of curtain-wall glazing with vertical strips of glazing carried down behind the columns.

From the left-hand end, the gym hall is of five bays. The masonry panels in the second and fourth bays have doorways with a flush architrave of smaller, darker grey blocks with expanded bases and relief circles to outer corners and bases. In front of the forum drum the roofline of bays six to nine steps up. Abutting bays six and seven is a semi-circular terrace raised on steel columns (the ground floor on the right-hand side enclosed by louvred panels) with an external steel staircase to the front. The staircase is made of perforated I-section beams with a half landing supported on a tubular column structure and has a balustrade of glass panels supported by perforated steel stanchions with tubular handrails. The balustrade continues round the right-hand side of the terrace, with a wall of banded masonry round the left-hand side. A recessed central entrance doorway opens off the terrace. To the right of bay nine the roofline steps down and the wall is curved in a semicircle of nine bays (ice rink), the outermost bay curving round onto the west elevation, with a projecting semicircle to bays thirteen and fourteen. There is a similar doorway with flush architrave to bay eleven and a wider doorway to bay fourteen.

In the centre of the west elevation is the main entrance approached across a bridge over a dry moat. The bridge deck rests on perforated I-section steel beams welded to two cross beams which project to the sides and are set through four circular columns faced in banded polished masonry. It has similar balustrades of glass panels with perforated steel stanchions and tubular handrails. The entrance has a high, triangular open porch with a triangulated perforated steel structural frame, perforated steel I-section bargeboards and a glazed roof, which is a continuation of the triangular, glazed spine. The first set of frame beams are bolted to the top of the inner pair of bridge columns. The glazed entrance doors are set in a glazed curtain wall. To the left of the bridge is a curved wall (ice rink) with stepped, banded masonry, stepped curtain wall glazing above and curved steel lattice edge beam. To the right, recessed further back, is a similar curved wall of banded masonry and curtain wall glazing (leisure pools), with a straight roofline formed by a triangular lattice roof truss projecting south, covered by interlocking vertical metal sheets. Standing separately is a large circular flue of banded masonry.

The long south elevation overlooks grass and a recent cycle track (replacing the original shaped lake). The triangular lattice roof trusses on this elevation project above the roof level and overhang the wall plane with undercut, prow-like profiles. They are supported on freestanding, circular columns faced in banded masonry with overhanging triangular heads of I-section perforated steel and triangulated tubular steel frames. The steel lattice edge beam has an angled, undercut profile and is stepped in places where the trusses are stepped.

From the left-hand end the nine bays of the leisure pools are curved in a semi-circle with a projecting drum to the fifth bay. To the left of the drum is stepped, banded masonry with curtain wall glazing above, a triangular oriel window, a triangular, glazed doorway with external steel steps with perforated I-section strings and tubular handrails, and full-height curtain walling. The circular drum is raised on freestanding circular steel columns (painted white) and surmounted by a second drum with a partial terrace and a central domed roof with a raised dome light. The drums are faced in horizontal cream and pink bands. The lower drum has darker grey blocks forming coping incorporating two large open circles on the east and west sides and an impost band continued as voussoirs over three round-headed doorways on the south side, the doorways separated by engaged pilasters. The lower drum also has horizontal rectangular windows to each side. An external spiral staircase rises to a steel balcony set on slender circular columns in front of the three doorways and to a walkway across to the upper terrace. The balustrades are of glass panels in steel frames. The recessed ground floor has curtain wall glazing on a low wall of cream and grey bands with a dark grey sill band. To the right of the drum is stepped banded masonry, curtain wall glazing and a triangular, glazed doorway with similar external steps leading down to an organically shaped outdoor pool, which also links to the indoor water. The pool has a large fibreglass rock surrounded by water and a flagged terrace in front. Recessed in the tenth and eleventh bays is the curved, banded wall of the forum. An oversized entrance in the tenth bay has glazed double doors set in a glazed screen flanked by giant engaged columns supporting a glazed, triangular steel pediment. In front is a checkerboard pathway of dark and light grey flags. To the right the six-bay events sports hall projects forward. The triangular trusses are supported by a row of seven columns in front of the south wall joined by the angled lattice edge beam with a larger-scale lattice band above joining the apexes of the roof trusses. The recessed wall has banded masonry with curtain wall glazing above. There is an external spiral staircase to a first-floor doorway in the thirteenth bay and two doorways to the right with flush architraves. The seventeenth, right-hand bay is recessed with a loading bay doorway with roller shutter and an adjacent pedestrian doorway.

The east elevation has banded masonry to the triangular end of the building spine. To the left the triangular lattice roof truss of the events sports hall slopes down to the left-hand (south-east) corner, covered by interlocking vertical metal sheets. It is supported by six engaged, semi-circular columns faced in banded masonry with painted steel heads and a freestanding column at the outer corner (one of the row to the south elevation of the hall). The first bay is recessed and the second bay has a full-width opening with a roller shutter and curtain wall glazing above (painted over). The remaining bays have stepped banded masonry with stepped curtain wall glazing above (painted over) and central double doors with flush architraves. The west return elevation of the hall has similar engaged columns, stepped wall and curtain wall glazing and central double doorways. To the right of the building spine the triangular lattice roof truss over the gym hall slopes down to the right-hand (north-east) corner, also covered in interlocking vertical metal sheets. The wall has stepped banded masonry with stepped curtain wall glazing above and a vertical strip of glazing at the outer corner. There are two double doors with flush architraves.

Projecting out below the building spine is a single-storey, mostly flat-roofed outshot curving round to the south with a semi-circular outer end (boiler house). The banded masonry walls have square indents marking out the five squash courts on the outer, northern side and semi-circular indents on the inner, southern side, containing steel downpipes. Both sides are mainly blind, but the northern side of the two-storey former staff area (adjacent to the main building) has square windows on both floors, some irregular curtain wall glazing and a long triangular roof light, with a later, reconfigured side entrance in the corner. The southern side has square windows on the first floor and a wide doorway with flush architrave below. There are a number of doorways on both sides, some with flush architraves; those for the boiler house have roller shutters. Standing adjacent to the end of the boiler house are three tall, circular silos of rivetted steel sheets (the lower parts now painted with cycling scenes).

The overall layout of the leisure centre remains as built, though there has been some minor reconfiguration of ancillary spaces and some refurbishment, most noticeable in the bars and snack bar. The structural steel framework is exposed throughout (painted white) and the walls are mostly of painted blockwork, with polished cream and grey banded masonry used in some public spaces.

The massive circular forum has walls of banded masonry and a chequerboard floor of black and white tiles with a wide outer band of black tiles. In the centre are four giant circular columns faced in masonry bands with black bases and capitals. Steel stanchions project from the top of each column with corbels to each side of four steel I-sections with circular perforations supporting a circular ring beam and forming four arches. On the ring beam is a drum faced in banded masonry with a glazed, radial network of beams and purlins spanning out to meet the perimeter steelwork. Around the perimeter of the forum is an encircling first-floor level walkway with regular circular balconies joined by decks resting on perforated I-section steel beams. The balconies are set on circular columns and both are faced in banded masonry. The decks have glass panel balustrades supported by perforated steel stanchions with tubular handrails. On the east side a larger, semi-circular landing projects in front of the walkway. It is set on a circular metal column with an expanded, tubular framework head standing in front of the banded masonry column. To each side is a flight of steps with perforated I-section steel strings, half landings supported on lower steel columns with expanded tubular heads, and similar glass and steel balustrades. Opening off the walkway are two large round-headed archways, to the mall to the west and the events sports hall balcony to the east. They are flanked by engaged semi-circular columns supporting steel semi-circular arch heads with stepped voussoirs patterned with indented circles. The pediment of the external entrance to the south has a similarly detailed steel triangular head. Other single and double doorways on the ground floor and on the north side of the first floor (Icebreaker Bar) are square-headed with architraves of darker grey blocks.

The mall contains the triangulated structural frames of perforated steel I-section beams forming the building spine. They are bolted on the top of circular bases and columns faced in banded masonry. It is top-lit by the triangular spine and clerestory windows in a central, raised section of roof. The blockwork side walls have polished grey masonry plinths with large windows with multi-pane glazing (presently partially covered by applied opaque sheets). Set into the north side wall is an engraved marble plaque commemorating the Queen inaugurating the leisure park on 12 December 1986 (and a later small plaque to one side commemorating her Platinum Jubilee in 2022), with a matching plaque set into the south wall commemorating the official opening of The Dome by Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales on 29 November 1989 (and a small, circular plaque to one side in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales, 1961 to 1997). The glass brick circular flume tower (originally clear glazed in a metal framework) with original glazing at the top (with applied opaque sheets) contains a spiral staircase winding round a circular steel column. Curved lower-level ramps with stepped plinths wind down to the ground floor towards the east end, and a narrower bridge with glass and steel balustrades connects with the forum walkway. Above, two flumes (blue and pink) wind through the exposed steelwork before entering the leisure pools.

The leisure pools are arranged in an arc with a variety of differently sized and shaped pools laid out at different heights separated by low, mosaic-tiled walls and triangular planters (no longer planted with palm trees). The layout incorporates features such as a lazy river, fountain, waterfalls, slides and flumes, and hot tubs. A curved viewing gallery area is entered from the mall, with changing rooms beneath at ground-floor level and a bridge to reach the banded masonry, circular health suite which is raised on columns above the pools. The bridge deck and string of the original flight of steps down to the pools have perforated I-section steel beams, perforated stanchions and tubular handrails to the balustrades, either with glass panels or horizontal steel rods.

The leisure ice rink is entered from the ground floor. It has organically shaped upper and lower ice pads linked by shallow sloping ramps. The changing area to one side and the toilets have been refurbished.

The events sports hall has a wide, first-floor balcony along the length of the inner (north) wall with a balustrade of glass panels in a metal frame incorporating circular-pierced metal panels and engaged semi-circular columns of banded masonry to the rear wall supporting the triangular lattice roof trusses. The walls of the bays between have geometric shapes of lighter blocks, with pairs of viewing box windows to the second, third and fourth bays. The first bay and east end wall have double doorways with flush architraves of darker blocks. At ground-floor level the hall has a series of large doorways with roller shutters along the outer south wall, with small, horizontal rectangular windows above lighting an ancillary/storage area.