The disused building, previously used by Dundee College, will become a centre for gymnastic excellence in Tayside & Fife, providing quality facilities to give the regions talented gymnasts the best opportunity to reach their full potential, particularly in the build-up to the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games. Dick McTaggart, who the centre is named after, was himself a Commonwealth Games gold medal winner in boxing, in 1958.
When architects Dorothy Wilson & Tom Ferguson from Dundee City Council started to investigate the look they wanted for the building, they were drawn to the extravagant board material of ROCKPANEL Chameleon. These boards come with a crystal-effect coating. Depending on the angle from which it is viewed and the effect of sunlight, the colour of the façade panels change.
With input from ROCKPANEL, the new extension was to be clad with a mix of colours including Chameleon Blue, Metallics Azurite Blue and Rockclad Light Grey. The architects thought the product was so versatile they have also used the panels extensively inside the facility, with Woods Teak in the dance studio, and Rockclad White in the main gym hall. They also wanted images of gymnasts routed into the deep soffit at the entrance. Thanks to the workability of the boards this was easy achievable with ROCKPANEL products. Furthermore the boards are insensitive to moisture and temperature which makes such detailing even possible for outside applications.
Architect Dorothy Wilson said “We are so pleased we got the look of the building exactly as we wanted it, the ROCKPANEL products were so versatile and delivered more than we would expect from a product”.
Tom Ferguson added “There were so many plus points as well as the aesthetics. ROCKPANEL were there to advise every step of the way, and the routed soffit is very impressive. The feedback from the site was all positive, from how easy the boards were to cut and install, to the lightweight panels making site handling easier. We will definitely use these products again”.
Furthermore, ROCKFON Koral E Edge 600 x 600mm ceiling tiles were specified throughout the Centre including the wet areas. As well as benefiting from Class A sound absorption to control the noise within the sports centre, Koral tiles are also ideally suited to damp/wet spaces thanks to their inherent stone wool humidity resistant properties. They can be installed at all temperatures ranging from 0°C to 40°C and no acclimatisation is necessary. Approximately 350m2 tiles were fitted in the shower rooms using an Enhanced Corrosion Resistant (ECR) grid which is specifically designed for areas with high humidity.
