Royal Commonwealth Pool
{{Short description|Sports centre and swimming pool in Edinburgh, Scotland}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2015}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2015}}
{{Infobox building
| name = Royal Commonwealth Pool
| alternate_names = Commonwealth Pool, the RCP, or the Commie{{cite news|url=http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/latestnews/End-of-an-era-as.5395324.jp|title=End of an era as Commonwealth Pool gets ready for refurbishment|last=Gyford|first=Sue|date=24 June 2009|publisher=Edinburgh Evening News|access-date=15 November 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110615124243/http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/latestnews/End-of-an-era-as.5395324.jp|archive-date=15 June 2011|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}
| image = Royal Commonwealth Pool, Edinburgh.JPG
| alt =
| caption = Royal Commonwealth Pool West side
| map_type = Scotland Edinburgh Central#UK Scotland |relief=1
| map_caption = The pool's situation within Edinburgh / Scotland
| map_dot_label = Royal Commonwealth Pool
| map_size =
| coordinates = {{coord|55.939202|-3.172731|display=inline,title}}
| seating_capacity = 2,000{{cite book|last1=McWhirter|first1=Norris|last2=McFarlan|first2=Donald|title=The Guinness Book of Records 1992|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=25QhAQAAIAAJ|edition=38|year=1992|publisher=Guinness World Records|location=Middlesex, England|isbn=0-85112-378-3|page=298}}
| altitude =
| building_type =
| architectural_style = Modernism
| cost = $3.84 million
| location = Edinburgh, Scotland
| client = Corporation of the City of Edinburgh Architects{{cite book|last1=Willis|first1=Peter|last2=Ignatowicz|first2=Jon|title=New Architecture in Scotland|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AB1NAAAAYAAJ|year=1977|publisher=Lund Humphries|page=76|isbn=9780853313939 }}
| owner =
| completion_date = 1970
| height =
| floor_area =
| architect = John Richards of RMJM
}}
The Royal Commonwealth Pool is a category-A-listed building{{Historic Environment Scotland|num=LB43148|desc=Royal Commonwealth Pool, 21 Dalkeith Road and Holyrood Park Road, Edinburgh|cat=A|access-date=21 March 2019}} in St Leonard's, Edinburgh, Scotland that houses one of Scotland's main swimming pools. It is usually referred to simply as the Commonwealth Pool and known colloquially as the 'Commie'.
History
The pool was commissioned by the Council under a plan by the then Lord Provost, Sir Herbert Archbold Brechin in 1966 as part of a wider project to bring the Commonwealth Games to Edinburgh. This, with the help of other committee members such as Sir John Inch, came to fruition in October 1969.
Construction began in 1967 and was completed in October 1969. The architecture was by Robert Matthew Johnson Marshall with structural input from Ove Arup & Partners.Buildings of Scotland: Edinburgh, Gifford McWilliam and Walker
The pool has been used for elite diving events including the 1986 Commonwealth Games hosted by Edinburgh{{cite book |last1=Bell |first1=Daniel |title=Encyclopedia of international games |date=2003 |publisher=McFarland & Co |location=Jefferson, NC |isbn=0-7864-1026-4 |page=122}} and the 2014 Commonwealth Games and inaugural 2018 European Championships, both hosted in Glasgow.
The pool was closed 2009 to 2012 for major internal remodelling.
Architectural award nominations
In 1993 it was selected by the international conservation organisation DoCoMoMo as one of sixty key Scottish monuments of the post-war period.{{cite book|last=Glendinning|first=Miles|title=Rebuilding Scotland: The Postwar Vision, 1945-1975|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=juxPAAAAMAAJ|year=1997|publisher=DoCoMoMo|page=29|isbn=9781898410331 }}File:20131207 Warrender Gala.JPG It was also nominated in 2002 by the Architecture Heritage Society of Scotland as one of the most significant modern contributions to Scottish heritage. These sentiments were echoed in Prospect 100 best modern Scottish buildings, published in 2005.{{cite web|url=http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-26178684_ITM|title=Hill House one of best modern buildings|last=Black|first=Edward|date=7 October 2002|work=The Scotsman|publisher=AccessMyLibrary|access-date=17 November 2010}} {{registration required}}
S&P Architects were the architects and lead consultants for the 2012 refurbishment and were awarded the Scottish Design Award in 2012 for the best reuse of a listed building.
Refurbishment
In June 2009, the pool was closed to the public to begin refurbishment.{{cite news|url=http://news.scotsman.com/edinburgh/Stadium-sale-will-fund-refit.3598654.jp|title=Stadium sale will fund refit for Commonwealth pool|last=Ferguson|first=Brian|date=18 December 2007|newspaper=The Scotsman|access-date=17 November 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121021173938/http://news.scotsman.com/edinburgh/Stadium-sale-will-fund-refit.3598654.jp|archive-date=21 October 2012|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}} The project, led by Frank and Charlie of S&P Architects (now Space&Place Architects) began in August 2009, costing approximately £37 million, and included new {{convert|25|m|ft}} diving and teaching pools as well as improvements to the changing rooms, café, reception, and the dive gym.{{cite web|url=http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/news/article/91/royal_commonwealth_pool_refurbishment_update|title=Royal Commonwealth Pool refurbishment: update|date=26 February 2010|publisher=City of Edinburgh Council|access-date=16 November 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110215030046/http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/news/article/91/royal_commonwealth_pool_refurbishment_update|archive-date=15 February 2011|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}} It was originally expected to be finished by mid-2011{{cite web|url=http://www.urbanrealm.co.uk/news/1257/T&A_Pool_resources.html|title=T&A Pool resources|date=27 February 2009|publisher=Urban Realm|access-date=16 November 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120302204509/http://www.urbanrealm.co.uk/news/1257/T%26A_Pool_resources.html|archive-date=2 March 2012|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}} but did not reopen until March 2012.{{cite news|url=http://news.scotsman.com/scotland/Commie-to-reopen-next-spring.6754397.jp|title=Commie to reopen next spring . . but it will look the same sss|last=Fraser|first=Gemma|date=19 April 2011|work=The Scotsman|access-date=29 April 2011}}(20 March 2012) [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-17434542 Commonwealth Pool in Edinburgh officially reopens] BBC News, Retrieved 28 February 2013
See also
References
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}
External links
{{commons category|Royal Commonwealth Pool}}
- [http://www.edinburghleisure.co.uk/venues/royal-commonwealth-pool Edinburgh Leisure]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20121122081824/http://www.s-parchitects.com/ S&P Architects]
{{Culture and leisure facilities in Edinburgh}}
Category:Sports venues completed in 1970
Category:1970 establishments in Scotland
Category:Category A listed buildings in Edinburgh
Category:Listed sports venues in Scotland
Category:Sports venues in Edinburgh
Category:Swimming venues in Scotland
Category:1970 British Commonwealth Games venues
Category:1986 Commonwealth Games venues
Category:2014 Commonwealth Games venues