FLEXIBLE BY DESIGN

Versatile sports structures, both temporary and permanent, are becoming increasingly popular for facility and venue operators looking to expand without the cost of traditional builds. SportsNation looks at recently completed projects

Year-round tennis at The Grange thanks to Covair’s permanent Air Dome

For almost two centuries, The Grange Club has been the home of cricket, tennis, hockey and squash in the heart of Edinburgh. Founded in 1832, the club predates the invention of tennis by more than fifty years; a reminder of how deeply its identity is woven into the city’s sporting life.

With 10 courts across three surfaces and a long-established pathway from community participation to performance tennis, The Grange is one of Scotland’s most iconic and celebrated sports clubs.

Keen to extend that legacy into the winter months and deliver a more consistent coaching programme, Rick Symington, Chair of The Grange Club, commissioned Covair to design and install a bespoke two-court Permanent Air Dome.

The Grange received LTA funding for the dome and designed it to meet LTA specifications. The climate-controlled facility with its spacious 10m-high apex has eliminated weather cancellations. It features generous run-backs and perimeter-mounted lighting positioned above those run-backs rather than over the courts. Itwas also adapted to include a bespoke green exterior and a fully opaque membrane that prevents glare.

According to Symington, the dome has transformed the rhythm and quality of coaching at the club. “We now run around 80% of our winter programme indoors,” he says. “That’s a massive change and it’s felt at every level of the club.

“Previously, our coaches had to run smaller programmes. They’d have great plans for player development, but the weather would get in the way. People would cancel last-minute even in light rain, usually because they were worried about slipping and falling.”

Temporary stadium for Real Zaragoza – built in 100 days

When Spanish LaLiga club Real Zaragoza needed a transitional home during the full renovation of its Estadio La Romareda, NUSSLI Iberia and local construction partner MLN Mariano López Navarro delivered a landmark solution: the first temporary stadium of its kind in Spanish professional football. Completed in just over 100 days, from construction start in March 2025 to handover in June, the venue accommodates 20,000 spectators across three seating stands and a main stand, covering a footprint of 120x80 metres.

The fully operational facility meets all LaLiga requirements, including floodlighting,scoreboards, changing rooms, medical facilities, media zones, VIP lounge, catering and retail. Designed for the 2025/26 and 2026/27 seasons, the entire structure is fully demountable and reusable – combining operational performance with a sustainable, circular approach to temporary sports infrastructure.

Neptunus’ circular structure gives new look to Royal Ascot

Racegoers at Royal Ascot enjoyed a spectacular new look to the hospitality village in the centre of the racecourse this year with the introduction of an eye-catching circular covered viewing area created by temporary structure specialists and SAPCA member Neptunus. The Salacia is a fully rounded structure allowing 360 degree views. It is a visually imposing multifunctional structure and provided visitors to Ascot a unique and stylish shaded shelter in the centre of the course.

Offering a clear span of 30 metres, the Salacia was extended with a five-metre canopy fitted with angled branding bespoke printed graphics. The roof is hydraulically lifted into place with flexibility for heights up to 12 metres.

Dan Waite, Ascot Racecourse Build Manager, said: “Neptunus have provided, for the first time seen in the UK, the Salacia for our Village Enclosure. The supply of this structure was to the highest quality standard from planning to delivery. With the artwork printed PVC to give it the touch of Royal Ascot, it fits perfectly within the space and provides comprehensive weather cover much needed in the enclosure.”

Rocklyn delivers padel at Galgorm Castle

SAPCA member Rocklyn has recently completed the installation of a new two-court padel facility at Galgorm Castle Golf Club. The project features premium Club10 courts beneath a 10.5m-high canopy with a double-skin roof membrane and sides down to 3m height. The double-skin membrane not only prevents condensation, a common challenge for covered facilities, but also reduces light spillage, an important consideration given the surrounding birdlife in the area.

The completed facility has delivered an excellent playing environment while successfully balancing performance, aesthetics and environmental sensitivity. The project has been extremely well received by the client, with feedback on both the courts and canopy exceeding expectations. As a result of the success of the initial installation, a repeat order is now scheduled to commence on site in June.

Nottingham Tennis Centre adds three padel courts

For traditional tennis venues looking to broaden participation and futureproof their facilities, Nottingham Tennis Centre offers a compelling blueprint. One of the UK’s largest pay and play community tennis centres, the Nottingham venue turned to SAPCA member Fordingbridge back in 2024 to create covered padel facilities that would complement its world class tennis offer, while attracting new audiences to the centre.

The results proved so successful that the centre has returned to leading padel experts Fordingbridge less than two years later to deliver three additional covered padel courts matching the original design. Both phases have seen triple span padel canopies installed covering three courts with a single streamlined structure. In both phases Nottingham Tennis Centre opted for Fordingbridge’s ‘Developed’ model which uses rolled CHS beams to minimise structural elements – with the result a strikingly light and airy playing environment. The contemporary looking canopy structures are finished in black powder coating to deliver a premium aesthetic that sits comfortably alongside the centre’s established tennis facilities.

Like many traditional tennis venues embracing padel, Nottingham has seen how covered, all-weather padel courts extend playing hours, promote strong occupancy in every season and bring fresh energy to a club environment. From attracting younger players, social groups and competitive leagues to boosting year-round participation, the centre’s decision to invest in three more all-weather padel courts – so soon after the first phase – highlights just how magnetic covered padel facilities become as a draw.