:Oriam

File:Covered_courts_at_Oriam_-_geograph.org.uk_-_5237651.jpg

Oriam is Scotland's national performance centre for sport, based at Heriot-Watt University's Riccarton campus in Edinburgh. The Scottish Rugby Union and the Scottish Football Association use it as a training facility, Heart of Midlothian F.C. rent the centre for first-team training and to run their academy. It is also used by other sports teams, students and members of the public.

History

A review of Scottish football, led by former First Minister of Scotland Henry McLeish, picked up on the lack of facilities in Scotland in the first report published in April 2010.{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/scotland/8638920.stm |title=Major report demands changes to Scottish football |work=BBC News |date=23 April 2010}} In February 2012, Sport Minister Shona Robison announced that £25{{nbsp}}million from the Scottish Government's Young Scots Fund would be put towards a new multi-sports centre which would include a national football academy.{{cite news |url=http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/sport-minister-shona-robison-announces-1117424 |title=Sport Minister Shona Robison announces plans for £25m national sports centre |work=Daily Record |date=21 February 2012 |access-date=10 October 2016}} Universities, colleges and local authorities were invited to bid.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/scotland/20814196 |title=Scottish national performance centre for sport to cost £25m |work=BBC Sport |date=21 December 2012}} By August 2013 there were three finalists.{{cite news |url=https://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/home/revealed-finalists-vying-for-scottish-national-sport-centre/8651844.article |title=Revealed: finalists vying for Scottish national sport centre |first=Richard |last=Waite |work=Architects' Journal |url-access=registration |date=9 August 2013|access-date=10 October 2016}} In September 2013, it was announced that the design by [https://www.reiachandhall.co.uk/ Reiach & Hall] was chosen.{{cite news |url=http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/13122553.Edinburgh_wins___30m_National_Sports_Centre/ |title=Edinburgh wins £30m National Sports Centre |first=Paul |last=Ward |work=The Herald |date=13 September 2013 |access-date=17 October 2016}}{{cite news |url=https://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/home/edinburgh-wins-30m-scottish-national-sport-centre/8653051.article |title=Edinburgh wins £30m Scottish national sport centre |first=Marino |last=Donati |work=Architects' Journal |date=12 September 2013 |url-access=registration |access-date=10 October 2016}} The remaining £9{{nbsp}}million towards the cost of building came from Sportscotland, Heriot-Watt University and the City of Edinburgh Council.{{cite news |url=http://www.scotsman.com/edinburgh/scotland-s-33m-world-class-sporting-centre-opens-1-4211790 |title=Scotland's £33m world-class sporting centre opens |work=The Scotsman |date=24 August 2016 |access-date=10 October 2016}}

Construction work began in March 2015.{{cite news |url=http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/tennis-courts-bulldozed-for-national-sports-centre-1-3725825 |title=Tennis courts bulldozed for national sports centre |work=Edinburgh Evening News |date=23 March 2015 |access-date=10 October 2016}} The £33{{nbsp}}million facility opened in August 2016. The indoor football pitch is covered by a curved steel frame with a PVC roof,{{cite web|url=http://www.scottishconstructionnow.com/14694/cms-helps-deliver-edinburghs-world-class-sports-performance-centre/ |title=CMS helps deliver Edinburgh's world-class sports performance centre |website=www.scottishconstructionnow.com |date=16 September 2016 |access-date=31 October 2016}} the shape of which has been likened to the trajectory of "the goal which defied physics" which was scored by Brazilian football player Roberto Carlos against France in 1997.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/scotland/24060805 |title=Edinburgh to host Scotland's elite performance sport centre |work=BBC Sport |date=12 September 2013}}{{cite news|url=http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/roberto-carlos-physics-defying-goal-inspires-oriam-stadium-1-4032716 |title=Roberto Carlos' physics-defying goal inspires Oriam stadium |first=Gina |last=Davidson |work=Edinburgh Evening News |date=17 February 2016 |access-date=16 October 2016}}{{cite news|url=http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/14721212.Edinburgh_hub_for_Champions_League_clubs_by_2017/ |title=Edinburgh hub for Champions League clubs by 2017 |first=Brian |last=Donnelly |work=The Herald |date=3 September 2016 |access-date=16 October 2016}} The building won the Future Building section at the 2016 Scottish Design Awards.{{cite web |url=http://www.urbanrealm.com/news/6161/Pop-up_gallery%2C_riverfront_college_and_modern_languages_classrooms_lead_SDA_winners.html |title=Pop-up gallery, riverfront college and modern languages classrooms lead SDA winners |website=www.urbanrealm.com |date=26 May 2016 |access-date=31 October 2016}}{{cite web |url=http://www.scottishdesignawards.com/scottish-design-awards-2016/future-building/oriam |title=Scottish Design Awards 2016: Future building: Oriam |website=www.scottishdesignawards.com |access-date=31 October 2016}}

Sports

The Scottish Rugby Union and the Scottish Football Association have both made long-term commitments to using Oriam ahead of international fixtures.{{cite news |url=http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/14695576.Inside_Oriam__The_new_centre_for_sporting_excellence_that_removes_excuses_from_the_Scotland_equation/ |title=Inside Oriam: The new centre for sporting excellence that removes excuses from the Scotland equation |first=Graeme |last=Macpherson |work=The Herald |location=Glasgow |date=21 August 2016 |access-date=10 October 2016}} Heart of Midlothian F.C. use the facility to run their academy and for first-team training.{{cite web |url=https://www.scottishfa.co.uk/performance/oriam/ |title=Oriam - The jewel in the crown of Scottish sport |work=Scottish FA |access-date=24 September 2018}} The Scottish Handball Association, basketballscotland and Scottish Netball also use the facility.{{cite news |url=http://www.cumbernauld-news.co.uk/sport/more-sport/lynne-hopes-new-oriam-centre-will-hand-sport-a-massive-boost-1-4092674 |title=Lynne hopes new Oriam centre will hand sport a massive boost |first=Ian |last=Maclean |work=Cumbernauld News |date=8 April 2016 |access-date=10 October 2016}} Furthermore, it is used by the recently formed professional women's team in basketball and handball, both launched in summer 2016.{{cite news |url=http://www.thenational.scot/sport/maureeen-mcgonigle-superb-new-oriam-facility-will-boost-netball-and-basketball-hopes.20830 |title=Maureeen McGonigle: Superb new Oriam facility will boost netball and basketball hopes |work=The National |date=6 August 2016 |access-date=16 October 2016}} Unlike some elite performance facilities, Oriam will be available to other sports teams, students and members of the public.{{cite news |url=http://www.scotsman.com/business/management/interview-catriona-mcallister-chief-executive-of-oriam-1-4003512 |title=Interview: Catriona McAllister, chief executive of Oriam |first=Kirsty |last=Dorsey |work=The Scotsman |date=18 January 2016 |access-date=10 October 2016}}{{cite news |url=http://www.scotsman.com/future-scotland/tech/oriam-research-will-benefit-scots-athletes-and-public-alike-1-4087669 |title=Oriam research will benefit Scots athletes and public alike |first=Chris |last=McCall |work=The Scotsman |date=31 March 2016|access-date=10 October 2016}} For the 2016–17 season, Hibernian F.C. will play their under-20 fixtures at Oriam.

Facilities

The centre has a FIFA-accredited indoor synthetic 3G pitch which is the largest of its type in Europe.{{cite web |url=http://quality.fifa.com/en/Football-Turf/FIFA-recommended-pitches-wordwide/#/index/4257 |title=Heriot Watt University, ORIAM – Pitch 10 indoor |work=FIFA |access-date=31 October 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150328122857/http://quality.fifa.com/en/Football-Turf/FIFA-recommended-pitches-wordwide/#/index/4257 |archive-date=28 March 2015 |url-status=dead }}{{cite news |url=http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/oriam-sports-performance-centre-to-help-scots-best-and-the-rest-1-4208316 |title=Oriam: Sports performance centre to help Scots best – and the rest |first=Andrew |last=Smith |work=The Scotsman |date=21 August 2016 |access-date=31 October 2016}}{{cite press release |url=http://www.greenfieldsturf.co.uk/sports-news/biggest-indoor-pitch-europe-oriam-scotland/ |title=Biggest Indoor Pitch in Europe at Oriam, Scotland |website=www.greenfieldsturf.co.uk |date=23 September 2016| access-date=31 October 2016}}{{cite press release |url=http://www.sportscotland.org.uk/news/sportscotland/2016/oriam-takes-shape-a-virtual-guided-tour/ |title=Oriam takes shape: A virtual guided tour |website=www.sportscotland.org.uk |publisher=Sportscotland |date=4 May 2016 |access-date=31 October 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161031154011/http://www.sportscotland.org.uk/news/sportscotland/2016/oriam-takes-shape-a-virtual-guided-tour/ |archive-date=31 October 2016 |df=dmy-all }} Its dimensions of 116 yards by 76 yards are the same size as those of Hampden Park's pitch.{{cite news |url=http://www.thenational.scot/sport/scotlands-new-33m-centre-of-sporting-excellence.11251 |title=Scotland's new £33m centre of sporting excellence |first=Anna |last=Reid |work=The National |date=16 December 2015 |access-date=10 October 2016}}{{cite news |url=http://www.scotsman.com/future-scotland/tech/oriam-research-will-benefit-scots-athletes-and-public-alike-1-4087669 |title=Oriam research will benefit Scots athletes and public alike |first=Chris |last=McCall |work=The Scotsman |date=31 March 2016| access-date=29 October 2016}} At the midpoint of this playing space, the roof is 28m high and there is a 15m playing height at the sides. The space accommodates a viewing area that can seat 500 people. There is also a synthetic pitch outdoors. There are natural surfaces outside too- five grass football pitches and two grass rugby pitches.

Indoors there is a 12-court sports hall, eight squash courts and a four-court sports hall.{{cite news |url=http://stv.tv/news/east-central/1365512-world-class-national-sports-centre-opens-to-the-public/ |title=National sports performance centre officially opens |first=Kaye |last=Nicolson |work=STV News |date=29 August 2016 |access-date=16 October 2016}} Other facilities available on the high-performance side of the centre include a HydroWorx 3500i Series hydrotherapy pool with an integrated treadmill, a rehabilitation area and gym area for strength and conditioning.

A 160-bed hotel is to be located on the site, to open in 2017.