Business partners, Wrightfield of Suffolk, England, and the Natare Corporation of Indianapolis, USA, have proved a winning combination in the supply of stainless steel pools and moving pool floors, for the QEII Recreation and sports facility in Christchurch New Zealand. The $38.6 million facility replaces the earthquake-damaged venue, which was built to host the 1974 Commonwealth Games. The new centre is planned to open on the Queen’s Birthday, in June this year, and boasts a lazy river, a splash pad, teaching pool, and a 25x25m 10-lane lap pool complete with moving pool floor. The inclusion of the moving pool floor was a big investment for the council, but one the leisure centre intends to take full advantage. “The 25 metre pool is the QEII facility’s main pool, and what this floor gives us, is versatility with how we use it,” says Nigel Cox, Operations Manager with Christchurch City Council’s Recreation and Sports Unit. “We can tailor the depth of the water in a matter of minutes at any time of day to suit whatever’s going on in the pool at the time. “So we can go for a full two metre depth while people are swimming laps in the morning, and then raise it to a one metre depth for kids taking our Swimsmart classes in the afternoon,” says Nigel. BIGGER RANGE “It’s a very cool feature that let us offer a bigger range of activities to the community, and it makes QEII’s pool an ideal choice for people of all ages and abilities.’’ The selection of stainless steel over concrete for the pool tank construction was an easy choice for Apollo Projects, the main contractor on the leisure facility build. The Christchurch area has suffered major earth quakes activity in the past, resulting in the failure of the majority of concrete pools in the area. “The Natare Stainless Steel pool wall systems offer far more resistance to seismic activity, coupled with faster construction time, reduced buried pipework, and fewer quality headaches,” said Steve Hastie, Project Manager. He adds: “The adoption of their vacuum sand filtration system has also reduced the plant room space, and removed the need for a basement on the build. All proved to be major points in winning the bid for the contract.”
Wrightfield Pools
Tel. 01379 872800
www.wrightfieldpools.co.uk
