Cloverdale Sport & Ice Centre

TKA+D in association with Roundwaith Dick + Hadley Architects (RDHA) were commissioned to design the new Cloverdale Twin Pad Arena. The project involves the master planning of the entire fairground site and the design and construction a new Twin Pad Arena that is expandable to a Four Pad Arena and future Aquatic Centre. The First Phase will incorporate a multi-purpose Ice Sheet and a Junior B Competitive Ice sheet. Both Sheets will have the flexibility to accommodate Dry Programming in the off-season with one sheet retaining the ice year-round.

A primary goal of the project was to create a new benchmark for open, inviting, warm and community-focused arena design. To this end the planning and material palette needed to reinforce the themes of daylight, views both in and out, and warmth.

The building is conceived in terms of a linear plan that takes advantage of the street-facing north exposure to open-up the ice rinks to public view, providing daylight that is free of glare and hot spots which would endanger the quality of the ice surface.

Solid blocks of service space and change rooms are placed between and to the south of the rinks, framing a central lobby. A linear, south-facing mezzanine gives access to spectator seating and community meeting spaces, while mediating direct south light penetration into the rinks.

A continuous wood baffle ceiling plane covers the entire upper level, screening the long span roof structure and mechanical systems, and introducing material warmth and architectural focus into the traditionally utilitarian community ice arena. The cladding consists of insulated metal panels and curtain wall, all based on a 42”-wide grid which rigorously informs the entire building structural and spatial layout.