AELTC Indoor Tennis Centre
- Client: The All England Lawn Tennis Club
- Architect: Hopkings Architects
- Contacts: Oliver Coleman, Jon Roshier
- LPA: London Borough of Merton
The Indoor Tennis Centre (ITC) supports the wider masterplan for the AELTC’s long-term development, contributing to a more coherent campus with better connectivity, security and parking amenity.
The vision was to construct industry-leading tennis facilities to be enjoyed by members year-round but also for the facilities to play an integral role for the world’s top players during the Championships as well as meeting rigorous ambitions for environmental sustainability.
The ITC is a crucial component in the management and upgrade of the facilities the AELTC provides and supports reconfigurations to improve the wider main site. The scheme provides six new indoor courts, six new external clay courts, a Members’ bar, and changing areas. A double curved roof form, generous daylighting combined with the use of natural materials and elegant detailing are key throughout the project.
The indoor court area is an impressive, column-free timber roof with a graceful, undulating form. The roof’s curve, which reduces the volume without affecting functionality, is a nod to the design of 1980s tennis rackets and echoes the trajectory of a lob shot. Complementing the timber roof, timber panelling is employed extensively throughout. Ancillary spaces are neatly arranged alongside the covered court area. The development has been highly commended in both architectural and planning awards.
