Herne Hill Velodrome
Herne Hill is renowned for an area of redevelopment – including the pedestrianisation of the station area, new markets and organised music and film events.
In it’s epicentre lies the historical Velodrome. Built in 1891, Herne Hill hosted the track cycling events in the 1948 Summer Olympics, as well as providing a training ground to Chris Hoy and Sir Bradley Wiggins - who started his career at the Velodrome aged 12
Sadly the Velodrome had fallen into disrepair and by 2010 needed immediate action to secure its long-term future and re-establish itself as one of the centres of the cycling in the London. The project, which is on Metropolitan Open Land and in a Conservation Area, reorganises the facilities on the site providing more useable space including a tensile fabric covered area for bad weather activities.
In light of this, J & J Carter were appointed to work with Hopkins Architects to produce the tensile fabric covered bicycle park for Herne Hill Velodrome.
It was chosen to upcycle used shipping containers to provide the secure storage the cyclists require; however also provided the necessary structural qualities which negated the need for traditional concrete foundations. The containers have the necessary strength to provide a platform from which the perimeter of the 250m2 canopy can be built from. The double conic form is supported by central masts and clamped to perimeter channel beams along two sides which harvest the rainwater. The front and rear boundaries are supported using a Catenary cable system with integrated rainwater divertors.
The bike park, constructed by J & J Carter will be used for ongoing maintenance, storage and repairs for visiting cyclists to the track.
