Plans have been revealed for the refurbishment of historic velodrome, Herne Hill which is located in south London.
Hopkins Architects, the people behind the Olympic Velodrome in Stratford will be responsible for the make-over. Plans, which include a state of the art pavilion can be viewed on the velodrome website.
The work which is expected to cost £1.9million will be a two storey, ultramodern facility that will include a gym, changing facilities, pyhsio and coaching rooms. There will also be a club room and kitchen as well as a children’s track and a family circuit.
The refurbish facility will be a far cry from its original form that played host to the 1908 and 1948 Olympics. During its heyday in the early 1900s the venue used to pull in crowds of up to 10,000 people. It has also been the stomping ground of a number of well known cyclists. Bradley Wiggins trained on the track from the age of 12, while Laura Trott and Joanna Rowsell have also raced here.
Over the past number of years the venue has fallen into a state of disrepair. In 2003, the track closed its doors for a year. But somehow the track has struggled on. The current tenants – Veloclub De Londres and British Cycling have managed to obtain a membership base that has kept the doors of this historic venue open.
With the venue falling further into a state of disrepair – the wooden pavilion is on its last legs – it was apparent that something must be done to save the venue. Work is due to be completed in 2015.
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