Plans for a new National Velodrome and Badminton Centre on the Sport Ireland Campus in Dublin have been granted planning approval. The proposals, designed by FaulknerBrowns Architects for Sport Ireland, will provide the first indoor velodrome track in Ireland.
The project is located within a wider masterplan for the development of the Sport Ireland Campus, also designed by FaulknerBrowns Architects, which was recently launched by the Government of Ireland.
With both athlete and community facilities, the project will aim to encourage participation in sport and promote the benefits of cycling to the wider community. The National Velodrome and Badminton Centre will also provide a permanent home for Cycling Ireland and Badminton Ireland.
Designs for the new centre include a 250m cycle track, with 12 badminton courts within the infield and around 1,000 permanent seats for spectators. Other spaces, including the entrance and café, changing rooms, offices, training facilities and bicycle hire/stores, will sit under the track at ground level.
The velodrome will act as a landmark within the wider Sport Ireland Campus, capable of hosting national and international cycling and badminton events. The building will be multi-functional, with 2,500 temporary seats to accommodate non-sporting events and activities.
The design proposals feature light coloured, concave metal cladding, surrounding the arena level in a continuous ribbon reminiscent of cycling components.
Improvements to the landscape surrounding the centre and within the campus have also been approved, including a new pedestrian and cycle route into the site, planting new trees and wildflower meadows and creating sustainable urban drainage features.
Mike Hall, partner at FaulknerBrowns Architects, said:
We are really pleased to see The National Velodrome and Badminton Centre approved, as the first major project in Sport Ireland’s vision to transform their campus. Approval for the country’s first indoor velodrome is also an exciting step forward for Ireland’s cycling community and an opportunity to create somewhere inspiring for local people to enjoy world-class sports facilities.
Una May, Sport Ireland CEO, said:
News of the velodrome’s approval is a really exciting start to 2023. We are delighted to see our plans for the Sport Ireland Campus progressing and the National Velodrome and Badminton Centre is an important next step. This will be somewhere for the community and for elite athletes to come together, sharing facilities at a new destination for Sport in Ireland.
Image, credit: Preview – National Velodrome and Badminton Centre (LR), courtesy: FaulknerBrowns Architects
