Leisure investment delivers landmark wellbeing hub for Caerphilly

Steelwork has played a central role in the delivery of a major new leisure and wellbeing hub for Caerphilly, helping to bring a complex, long-span building to life in the heart of the town.

The £38m Caerphilly Leisure and Wellbeing Hub, delivered for Caerphilly County Borough Council by Alliance Leisure, is transforming a former area of scrub land close to the town centre into a modern, multi-purpose community facility designed to support health and wellbeing for generations to come.

Shufflebottom, part of Embrace Steel, was appointed as steelwork contractor by main contractor Morgan Sindall Construction, working closely with architect Watson Batty Architects and structural engineer Stantec to deliver approximately 450 tonnes of structural steelwork.

Designed for flexibility and open space

Leisure buildings demand large, open and adaptable internal areas, and a steel frame was selected to efficiently achieve the long spans and column-free spaces required for pools, sports halls and fitness areas.

The two-storey building has a footprint of approximately 1,763m² and is stabilised using a combination of vertically braced bays and moment frames. Steel’s adaptability also allowed the design team to accommodate a subtle skew in the building layout, where two corners are set off square. This required changes to the internal grid and careful coordination of beam orientation and connection detailing in these areas.

Working collaboratively with the wider project team, Shufflebottom developed bespoke connection solutions to suit the geometry of the frame, while ensuring buildability and programme certainty were maintained throughout erection.

Long spans and integrated services

At the heart of the hub are two large double-height zones located either side of the central two-storey element. One houses the main swimming pool and wet play area, while the other accommodates a sports hall.

Both spaces are spanned by a series of 20m-long cellular beams, which were delivered to site in sections, spliced at ground level and lifted into position using a 90-tonne mobile crane. The use of cellular members allowed building services to pass through the structure, helping to keep floor depths and overall building height efficient.

The pool hall roof will support a green roof, while the sports hall features a standing seam finish. Across the building, the roof structure incorporates a mix of solid and perforated acoustic decking to suit the different uses below.

Additional column-free areas

Further column-free spaces were created at ground floor, including the main entrance and café area. Here, a 15m-long truss, positioned at first-floor level and concealed within the gym façade, provides the necessary clear span.

Adjacent to this, the TAG Active arena is formed as an 11m-wide, double-height space, again achieved through careful steel design and coordination.

The central two-storey section of the hub contains changing facilities at ground level, with the gym, studios and squash courts above. The upper floor structure is formed using a composite solution of steel beams, metal decking and a concrete topping.

A distinctive steel canopy

Externally, one of the most striking features is a fully galvanised steel canopy that wraps around the south-west corner of the building and extends along the main elevation to form a covered entrance walkway.

Thermally isolated from the main structure, the canopy is supported on a series of raking 12m-tall circular hollow section columns and slopes in two directions. Its steel deck structure is formed from beams, bracing, moment connections and cold-rolled joists, clad with a standing seam roof finish.

Foundations and delivery

Most of the building’s columns, including those supporting the canopy, are founded on shallow spread footings. Around the pool hall, a deep perimeter ring beam was introduced to share column loads and allow reduced excavation in areas accommodating pools, plant and services. Ground conditions across the site were improved through a programme of dynamic compaction prior to foundation works.

The Caerphilly Leisure and Wellbeing Hub is scheduled for completion in March 2027 and will provide a lasting asset for the local community.