North Charleston Sports Complex
A replacement pool and gymnasium complex that finds architectural character within the constraints of tilt-up concrete construction.
The project replaces an existing pool and gymnasium building on an open municipal site, with the program expanding to include locker rooms and a large lobby. Tilt-up concrete walls were selected to answer two demands simultaneously — the durability a heavily used public facility requires and the economy the owner requested. The open site made tilt-up construction a natural fit, allowing the building's two primary masses to be formed and tilted into place efficiently without the constraints of a tight urban footprint.
The two large rectilinear volumes flank a lower roof over the lobby and locker rooms, creating a clear organizational hierarchy that reads from the exterior. Diagonal accent reveals and trim in the owner's colors run across the tilt-up panels, giving the concrete faces visual interest without adding material cost. A deep entry canopy marks the threshold, providing covered drop-off for arriving visitors while shading the full-height glazing of the lobby behind it — a practical move that also gives the building a strong street presence appropriate to its civic role.
This project was completed by John McLean while employed with Mcmillan Pazdan Smith.
