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FEBRUA RY 2016 | 69 Crossings Ice Complex Crossings Ice Complex I f recreation centres are generally considered the neglected child of the design and construction world, consider the dire straits of ice arenas. A staple of the Canadian lifestyle, outdated facilities are coveted to the point where enthusiasts frequently have to travel out of town in order to find a skating surface that is not packed to the parameters with patrons. However, ice arenas require specific expertise and technology to create, and municipal budgets are at a premium. In the case of the City of Lethbridge, it became imperative to bring the Crossings Ice Complex, which was first discussed as far back as 2007, from the planning stages into reality. "We were galvanized precisely by the fact that although we have six ice sheets in Lethbridge, locals were still having to drive out of town to have fun on the ice," says Ashley Matthews, the City's project co-ordinator, recreation and culture. Matthews adds, "Another consideration was our curling facility, which is over 60 years old and needed to be replaced by a new facility with a vastly improved ice plant and amenities." The old facility reportedly filled with fog during the annual August ice-making process, with the resulting condensation causing substantial wear and tear on the building's components – and upgrades required within 10 years would have cost a whopping $7 million. As 2015 drew to a close, Lethbridge residents watched the finishing touches being applied to the ice complex, Phase One of the larger Crossings Leisure Complex project, and in terms of appearance alone, the facility is a unique addition to the city's skyline. Viewed from the exterior, the Complex exhibits a boxy, angular architecture that is almost Brutalist in style; both functional and strikingly different from the gloomy design of ice arenas elsewhere in Canada. Phase One consists of 135,000 square feet of space, including a 90,193-square-foot (NHL-size) twin ice arena and a 45,499-square- foot, 10-sheet curling facility, plus a shared parking lot and landscaping. The ice arenas include combined seating for a total of 900 spectators, change rooms, storage areas and referee rooms, and food and beverage services. The curling facility includes 10 sheets of curling ice, change rooms, a lounge and spectator seating. In 2007, following extensive consultation with stakeholders, the City retained an architectural firm to design the twin arenas, which Matthews says was the sole component of the project initially. "But then in 2010 our MP, Rick Casson, secured for us a government grant that would cover the cost of a curling facility; so we expanded the project and retained Group2 Architecture Interior Design Ltd. and FWBA Architects to undertake a needs assessment and conceptual plans." Matthews points out that this assessment period was crucial to the success of Phase One. "The main challenge with these kinds of projects is getting the design right the first time out, so a lot of time and effort was spent making it the best functioning and most economical facility of its kind." This led to solutions both simple (a common entrance for skaters as well as curlers, instead of separate entrances) and somewhat more complex (the diverting of waste heat from the ice plant to the seating areas, to beneath the ice to control permafrost permeation and to the changing room floors). Craig Webber, principal of Group2 (who acted as the prime consultants on the project), says, "Much of the design of Phase One was with the mind of carrying over many elements to eventually accommodate Phase Two, and as it turned out we had enough leftover waste heat to pipe over to the other part of the Complex when it is completed." He adds, "Similarly, we designed the kitchen so that it would serve the entire Complex, not just Phase One, and for the sake of maximizing versatility, the curling rink was designed and oriented so that it can also be used for trade shows and other functions when Phase Two is complete." FWBA principal David Cocks says the City's due diligence "helped enormously in preventing any hitches or difficulties in the design and construction process. The number of user groups that had to be consulted was daunting, but the effort paid off." Better still, the practical solutions arrived at also lent themselves to a pleasing architectural esthetic. For by ROBIN BRUNET RENDERINGS COURTESY FWBA ARCHITECTS 3:42 PM 11:10 AM

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