Sports and Aquatic

Project Details

Apollo was engaged by St Thomas’s College for the design and construction of a new 2,124m² sports hall located on their Christchurch campus. This purpose-built facility includes a range of spaces to support both physical education and broader school and community use. Key features include:

• A full-size sports hall with bleacher seating
• Three basketball courts (one show court and two community courts) as well as futsal, badminton, and volleyball courts
• P.E. teaching spaces, offices, physio room, weights room
• Four changing rooms with associated amenities
• A foyer and reception area
• A full tilt-slab end wall to integrate outdoor sports such as cricket and football

As the hall also serves as the school’s assembly venue and is available for community use, a polyurethane-on-rubber sports floor was selected for its durability, low maintenance, and suitability for multi-sport activities.

The gymnasium is practical in design, layout and construction, and robust in nature befitting a boys’ school. The modular structure of the building allows for future expansion, and the single-level layout ensures accessibility, energy efficiency, and cost-effectiveness.

Energy performance was a key consideration in the design. Kingspan wall and roof cladding deliver high insulation and airtightness, helping to minimise heating costs. The panels’ highly reflective interior surfaces enhance natural light within the sports hall, further improving energy efficiency.

To maximise daylight while maintaining thermal performance, insulated ‘wall-lites’ were incorporated. This modern technology is commonly used in sports facilities to allow natural light to flood in without compromising insulation.

In parallel with the sports hall project, Apollo has also been engaged to design and construct a new administration and classroom block for the college.