Royal Commonwealth Pool, 21 Dalkeith Road, Edinburgh

The Royal Commonwealth Pool, built in 1967-1970 and designed by Robert Matthew, Johnson-Marshall and Partners (with John Richards as partner-in-charge, Euan Colam as project architect, Harold Medd as interior designer, and Ove Arup as structural engineers), is a large, rectangular Modernist swimming pool and leisure complex. It was refurbished internally between 2009 and 2012 by S&P Architects (with Chris Barr, Mike Lee, Frank Polacchi and Charlie Christie as project architects, and Buro Happold as structural engineers). The building is arranged over two stages, with a recessed upper stage that rises above the diving pool at the southeast corner.

The exterior is constructed with dark blue-grey engineering brick at the base, followed by facing panels of precast concrete and white Portland stone aggregate at the balcony level. The roofs are clad in aluminium sheeting with pressed anodised aluminium panels to the fascias. A structural steel frame supports interior concrete members, and a tall steel chimney is situated at the southeast corner. The site slopes downwards from the Dalkeith Road entrance to the rear southeast corner. The building features strip glazing, and the basement and upper levels are recessed beneath deep overhangs. A wide flight of steps leads to the entrance doorways, with a deep escape balcony continuing around three sides. A shallower flight of steps runs the full length of the Holyrood Park elevation, also with a small overhang. Further bands of glazing are present at both the access level and upper levels, set within narrow hardwood frames.

The interior, observed in 2013, features slatted Iroko pre-formed ceiling panels across all public areas and ceramic tiles and in situ terrazzo finishes to the walls and floors. The natural slope of the site is utilized to create a sequence of descending spaces, from the entrance at the northwest corner down to the diving pool in the southeast corner. The entrance level accommodates ‘dry’ areas, including a main hall, ticket office, gymnasium (originally intended as a spectators’ gallery and cloakrooms), café, children's area, and various offices. 'Wet' areas, located at basement level, comprise the main pool, diving pool, and training pool, alongside changing rooms and plant rooms. Spectator seating was renewed during the 2009-12 refurbishment, replacing original orange PVC benches with newly manufactured seats styled to match the 1970s aesthetic. Timing booths and offices have been incorporated beneath the seating, which has been slightly reduced in its initial raking. The original pool floor, which sloped, was replaced between 2009 and 2012 with a level floor that can be raised or lowered. Similarly, the hexagonal diving pool was replaced with a square pool incorporating a compatible moveable floor.