The Manchester Aquatics Centre (MAC) will reopen its doors to the public, following a multi-million pound refurbishment from Manchester City Council NEXT mONDAY.
After the completion of Phase 1, the largest phase of the works the Manchester Aquatics Centre is due to reopen next week, in time for the World Para Swimming Championships, that will take place in late July.
The Manchester Aquatics Centre, located on Booth Street, has been closed to the public and has been operating at a reduced capacity since November 2021. During this time, the leisure centre has seen a significant refurbishment of its facilities and has undergone works to improve its energy efficiency.
The Council has delivered upgrades to all areas and aspects of the building. Including improving all of the swimming pools, enhancing the health and fitness facilities which now features three new gym spaces all on one level, a new fitness class studio and new group cycle studio, leisure water (including new splash pad facilities), new café facilities, health suite, and changing spaces with new accessible changing provision to support disabled people and those with additional needs, and new digital and sustainable technologies to provide a more modern and efficient building.
The refurbishment of the MAC allows Manchester residents to have direct access to state-of-the-art leisure facilities right in the city centre.
In line with Manchester City Council’s commitment to achieve zero carbon emissions by 2038, sustainability, energy efficiency and decarbonisation have been at the heart of the MAC’s refurbishment and the building has been adapted accordingly.
Over £3m in investment was secured for New Green Technologies, funded by the National Public Sector Decarbonisations Scheme. Green energy systems and renewable energy sources have been implemented across the aquatics centre to reduce the MAC’s carbon emissions.
The existing gas heating system has been replaced by high efficiency, all electric Air Source Heat Pumps and 1006 solar panels have been installed on the roof of the centre, alongside a battery system that will allow the MAC to use solar energy even on Manchester’s cloudier days. In addition to this, a Building Management System, using energy efficient lighting and new air handling units have also been introduced to preserve heat and reduce emissions.
Phase 2 of the refurbishment works will commence in September and will include upgrades to all basement areas, programmed over the next 12-month period.
Councillor John Hacking, Manchester City Council’s Executive Member for Skills, Employment and Leisure, said:
“The reopening of the Manchester Aquatics Centre is a momentous occasion for the city and it’s wonderful to welcome people back to the newly renovated facility, one of the leading aquatics venues in the UK. The return of the Aquatics Centre is a key strategic goal for the Council, we want to ensure that our communities have access to state-of-the-art facilities in Manchester and, make sure that we’re looking after the wellbeing, both physical and mental, of our residents.
“Thanks to the Council’s large investment, the Aquatics Centre is now better equipped to suit the needs of our residents, who can now benefit from a wide range of brilliant sports equipment, aquatic upgrades, spa facilities and changing space – I would encourage anyone to go down to test out the new facilities.”
