Design ideas for new Finsbury Leisure Centre go on show

Residents can give their views on design ideas for a new Finsbury Leisure Centre, much-needed new council homes, community facilities and improved public space.

 

Islington Council is running a design competition with the Royal Institute of British Architects to replace the existing leisure centre, which dates from the 1970s, and make better use of the surrounding site in Bunhill ward, south Islington.

 

Five architectural firms have been shortlisted and their design ideas are now on show in an exhibition at Finsbury Library, 245 St John Street, from today (May 10) until May 23.  

 

Residents can give their views on the initial designs, and also have a chance to ask planning officers questions during the following sessions:

 

Thursday 12 May 4pm-8pm

Friday 13 May 1pm-4pm

Saturday 14 May 9am-12pm

 

There will be further opportunities for residents and the local community to shape the design after a winner is chosen, and before a planning application is submitted.

 

Cllr Janet Burgess, Islington Council's executive member for health and wellbeing, said: "This is an exciting and ambitious project to build much-needed new council homes and a new leisure centre for local people.

 

"We'd like local residents to see the initial design ideas and give us their views. We welcome all comments, and there will be other chances for residents to help influence the final design at a later stage."

 

The five shortlisted architectural practices are Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, Grimshaw, Hawkins Brown, Pollard Thomas Edwards and Henley Halebrown Rorrison.

Also on display at the library as part of the exhibition are designs produced by young people, as part of the young person's design competition which concluded earlier this year.  This ran as a "shadow" competition to the main architects' competition.