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Crystal Palace Sport Centre

ska invita

ska invita

back on the other side
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Can anyone find a history of this building? Who commissioned it and as part of what policy?

Good blog piece from 2018 about the current state of the facility and plans (or lack of) in regards the sites future
Is the bell sounding for the final lap at Crystal Palace NSC?

...its under thread basically.
Petition here Sign the Petition

The indoor sports centre is amazing - well worth a visit. In desperate need of some tlc though...the toilets are rank.

nice feature on the architecture here
Justin Nicholls Architect: A concrete cathedral for sport - The Crystal Palace Sports Centre

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DSC_3414.JPG


Grade II listed so the pool and sports hall are safe - its the running track thats vulnerable
 
Signed. Do they still race radio control cars in front of the sports centre? Cp park is great, used to go there every other week as a kid. Walking round the old remainents of the palace walls and F1 race track, had a slightly erie feel.
 
hash tag said:
It's a start Crystal Palace National Sports Centre - Wikipedia
I seem to remember there was talk of Palace moving back there a few years ago :confused:
Last time I was over that way it looked very sad and in need of some desperate TLC. :(
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Yeah the wiki doesn't say much about it's inception.

Blog piece in op mentions the Palace rebuild and what a load of balls it was.. Privatisation of public land basically, in the name of redevelopment
 
xenon said:
Signed. Do they still race radio control cars in front of the sports centre? Cp park is great, used to go there every other week as a kid. Walking round the old remainents of the palace walls and F1 race track, had a slightly erie feel.
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I believe they do but I think it's round the side of the building closest to the Penge end of the park.
 
Crispy said:
Love the sports centre building. Dramatic but not overbearing. Same architect as Royal Festival Hall.
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didnt know that...RFH was very much a socialist building...the peoples palace...the sports centre gives off the same vibe and thats what im curious about - im guessing commissioned by a post war labour government in a similiar spirit? But would like to know for sure
 
Did all my secondary school swimming lessons at CP pool - the massive underwater windows scared the shit out of me so I'd dive in and tear down the pool to get out as quickly as I could

ETA: I last went a few years ago for roller derby.
 
ska invita said:
didnt know that...RFH was very much a socialist building...the peoples palace...the sports centre gives off the same vibe and thats what im curious about - im guessing commissioned by a post war labour government in a similiar spirit? But would like to know for sure
Click to expand...
It was all an LCC project, dating back to the early 50s. The land had only just been transferred to public ownership following the fire 15 years earlier. Some good information in the Listing: CRYSTAL PALACE NATIONAL RECREATION CENTRE, Bromley - 1031539 | Historic England
 
The pool is fantastic - it's a great place to swim with the high ceiling, so much light in there. Plus the 50m pool. Could definitely do with a bit of a clean up for sure but there's nothing inherently wrong with it.

I'm not so sure about the stadium though tbh. There's no real need for a stadium that size and there's quite a lot of dead space around there. You could easily build a more community accessible athletics track within the footprint and return a lot of land to the park, or make it more accessible, at the same time.
 
Monkeygrinder's Organ said:
I'm not so sure about the stadium though tbh. There's no real need for a stadium that size and there's quite a lot of dead space around there. You could easily build a more community accessible athletics track within the footprint and return a lot of land to the park, or make it more accessible, at the same time.
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...'need' is a tricky one. If there was stuff going on there im sure people would go to see it, and likewise use it more. But yeah, im sure a clever architect could come up with something to improve it. Bulldozing it would be bad though - and it is under threat
 
wiskey said:
Did all my secondary school swimming lessons at CP pool - the massive underwater windows scared the shit out of me so I'd dive in and tear down the pool to get out as quickly as I could

ETA: I last went a few years ago for roller derby.
Click to expand...
We used to dive down to the windows and do the inevitable goldfish impersonations. I think they looked out onto a public corridor bit? Are the windows still there ?
 
ska invita said:
...'need' is a tricky one. If there was stuff going on there im sure people would go to see it, and likewise use it more. But yeah, im sure a clever architect could come up with something to improve it. Bulldozing it would be bad though - and it is under threat
Click to expand...

I don't know they would tbh. I mean, it's an athletics stadium ultimately and there are probably one or at most two events nationally per year that can really draw large crowds to watch athletics - the Diamond League type events that attract the world class competitors - and they're always going to be at the Olympic Stadium now. Maybe there are other events that might get people in but I'm not sure what they'd be. And I don't think a massive run down stadium is really attractive for smaller, more local type events and community use. The track at Tooting gets a lot more use and it's a much more manageable size of facility for local clubs etc.
 
It is a shame as it is being used more and more....The HCVS London to Brighton goes from there, mini's also? They have triathlons, regular cycle races, there is a historic car "race" every year.
I understood there were plans to do up the terraces a while back. The museum is quite interesting and could possibly tell you more.
The station and tunnels are magnificent. Nice caff in the station last time I was there. Last time I was in the tunnels, someone said there were plans to turn them into a cafe as well?
 
Not forgetting there were plans to build an entertainment complex nearby, up by the parade. The site was taken over by protesters, who even dug tunnels.
 
clicker said:
We used to dive down to the windows and do the inevitable goldfish impersonations. I think they looked out onto a public corridor bit? Are the windows still there ?
Click to expand...
You used to be able to go down and watch through that window. There was a scuba diving club that used to meet there.

I believe it was designed like that for proper diving, though.
 
ska invita said:
20161128_153025894_iOS.jpg


20161128_152452190_iOS.jpg


Can anyone find a history of this building? Who commissioned it and as part of what policy?

Good blog piece from 2018 about the current state of the facility and plans (or lack of) in regards the sites future
Is the bell sounding for the final lap at Crystal Palace NSC?

...its under thread basically.
Petition here Sign the Petition

The indoor sports centre is amazing - well worth a visit. In desperate need of some tlc though...the toilets are rank.

nice feature on the architecture here
Justin Nicholls Architect: A concrete cathedral for sport - The Crystal Palace Sports Centre

DSC_3408.JPG



DSC_3414.JPG


Grade II listed so the pool and sports hall are safe - its the running track thats vulnerable
Click to expand...
It's on a full insuring and repairing lease. Hence issues with spending any money on it. The lease holders have no plan.
 
Guineveretoo said:
You used to be able to go down and watch through that window. There was a scuba diving club that used to meet there.

I believe it was designed like that for proper diving, though.
Click to expand...
I went to find the underwater diving window... Couldn't see it last week. Turns out you have to go through the wet changing rooms and arround a corner

IMG_20191119_193714.jpg

That's as close as you can get now as it's been fenced off... The second window looks like it's been leaking and down the corridor there are braces holding the wall up! Must be a lot of water pressure on there. A little bit worrying!
 
Guineveretoo said:
I believe it was designed like that for proper diving, though.
Click to expand...

I have it in my head it's so they could judge synchronised swimming.
ska invita said:
I went to find the underwater diving window... Couldn't see it last week. Turns out you have to go through the wet changing rooms and arround a corner

View attachment 190437

That's as close as you can get now as it's been fenced off... The second window looks like it's been leaking and down the corridor there are braces holding the wall up! Must be a lot of water pressure on there. A little bit worrying!
Click to expand...

Wow, I have got a memory of being on that side of the glass looking into the pool, but i mainly remove how big and black and potentially full of sharks they seemed from inside the water.
 
wiskey said:
I have it in my head it's so they could judge synchronised swimming.


Wow, I have got a memory of being on that side of the glass looking into the pool, but i mainly remove how big and black and potentially full of sharks they seemed from inside the water.
Click to expand...
Omg I've got a flashback of being on the other side of the glass impersonating a goldfish. That's exactly how I remember the corridor.
 
I was there with a friend who was last there some 35 years ago as a nipper! He remembered it as being much bigger and grander...whereas now looks like a dodgy service tunnel with a couple of portholes in it :D
 
TopCat said:
Not to disparage it.:)
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I lived nearby and wanted to support the camp and its actions. Some right funny people rocked up. Some not so funny odd types too.
It was sweet with punk next to old lady at the tea table.

Bromley council have been running down the whole park for decades. Desperate to build fucking flats in there.
 
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