After a long association and a number of previous council aquatic work, Christchurch City Council selected Apollo Projects to build the new Taiora: QEII Recreation and Sport Centre. This project finished in May 2018.
The facility boasts a lazy river, a splash pad an adjoined toddler’s pool and a large aqua dunker which is always a hit amongst swimmers regardless of age. A ‘learn to swim’ pool, a 25x25m 10-lane pool, a spa, steam room and sauna, café, small retail area and birthday party room. The comprehensive fitness centre features a large weights area, fitness studio and spin room. The Aquasphere is a 120-metre hydroslide where riders enter a sphere and bank around the walls before dropping back into the high-speed twists and turns for the rest of the ride. It is a first for New Zealand and the ultimate in excitement for hydroslide lovers.
The 10-lane pool has a moveable floor, a first for Christchurch. It provides enhanced programming opportunities for the pools, meaning more can be done simultaneously in the pool. The moveable floor will cover half the pool so deepwater activity can happen on one side and shallower activities such as aqua fitness or swimming lessons can happen on the other.
As the area suffered major liquefaction in the quakes the new pools are Natare Stainless Steel walled. This technology is more seismic friendly and allows the pools to be re-levelled up to 50mm in the event of future earthquakes.
