Swimming Pool Dome at the Oasis Leisure Centre

Swimming Pool Dome at the Oasis Leisure Centre

This leisure pool was designed in 1974 by Peter Sargent, ARIBA, with Trevor Wilson and Mark Potiriadis, of Gillinson, Barnett and Partners. It was built between 1974 and 1975 and opened on 1 January 1976. The dome over the pool was designed and manufactured by Roper IBG International, USA. The principal contractor was McAlpine, with William Cox Spaceglazing Ltd acting as the specialist subcontractor for the dome.

The structure consists of an aluminium space-frame fixed to a reinforced-concrete perimeter ring beam, creating a dome that covers the wet side of the leisure complex. The dome was re-glazed with flat polycarbonate sheets in 2014. The interior finishes include tiled and plaster surfaces.

The site is orientated east-west, with the leisure pool positioned to the east of the entrance block and the dry sports side. The leisure pool sits under a 45-metre-diameter circular dome that rises from a grassy berm, or raised bank, forming a circular plan around it.

The leisure centre is approached from the north via a two-storey entrance block. The grassy berm rises from the surrounding land and extends continuously around roughly three-quarters of the dome. A splayed section is cut away from the berm on its north side, with concrete retaining walls flanking large windows and double doors with aluminium frames that provide direct access to the pool. The berm is punctuated by three sloping strip windows with multiple lights around its circumference, which light the pool area.

The dome measures 45 metres in diameter and rises to a height of 9.1 metres above the reinforced-concrete ring beam at its base. The space frame is formed from extruded aluminium alloy members running as ribs from the ring beam to the crown, with horizontal hooped purlins running around the structure at various levels. The fields are glazed with flat polycarbonate panels installed in 2014. The structure is topped with a metal ventilation louvre with a domed head.

At the south-eastern point of the dome is a launch tower for waterslides that emerge in a splash tank built on the former sun terrace. The tower, waterslides and splash tank are not included in the listing. To the east are the entrance block and dry sports side of the building, which are also excluded.

The leisure pool is wholly contained under the dome's space-frame, covering an uninterrupted circular area 45 metres in diameter with a central 21st-century heat exchanger. On the north side, the pool is set below ground level, so the circular side walls are set under the sloping berm, rising straight up for a short distance before sloping at the back of jowled upright reinforced-concrete ribs. The walls and ribs are plastered over a mesh underlayer. The main pool, known as the lagoon, is irregularly shaped and shelves gently from floor level to a maximum depth of 1.9 metres. Around the pool edge on its west side is a series of raised balconies with railings and steps down to the poolside. On the north side is a sun terrace with a circular footprint, originally referred to as a dry beach. Around the pool perimeter are concrete planters in the form of raised beds with white, grey and beige tile finishes. The planters incorporate seating covered in blue mosaic tile and GRP rocks. Clustered-globe lamp posts from the original scheme survive. The pool lining is tiled in blue and white mosaic with depictions of dolphins, which is not the original 1976 scheme. To the east, a short triple slide extends over the deeper end of the pool, adjacent to which at the upper level is a geodesic observation pod. On the south side is a shallow learners' pool, divided from the main pool by a low dividing wall with a fun tiled crab design. Behind the learners' pool is a short tunnel called Tutan's Tomb, whose original purpose is unknown. Remnants of a desert-themed mural also survive in this area.

The wall screening the changing rooms features a mosaic Oasis logo and a tiling scheme in orange, grey, white and black.

The waterslides, their launch tower and splash pool, the dry side, the linking entrance block, and service structures attached to the south side of the entrance block are excluded from the listing.