SBUSixth Engineering student Ali Jobarteh was among a group of young people presenting their ideas for the renovation of the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre today (Weds 22 April) at London’s City Hall. The 20 students formed the ‘Future Palace’ project, which developed and researched ideas for the forthcoming renovation of the renowned South London complex.
Each student taking part in the project also built a prototype model to demonstrate their idea. Ali’s proposal – to replace the outdated lighting inside the stadium’s roof with efficient LED lighting – was represented with a wooden model demonstrating how strips of LED lights could give the refitted stand a contemporary style.
The City Hall presentation was the culmination of several months of hard work out of the classroom, carried out in students’ free time at weekends and during holidays. The group had developed their proposals following site visits to the Sports Centre, talking to current users, and sessions with architects and building companies, including the project leaders Morgan Sindall Construction.
Ali commented, “Being involved in this project has been a great experience. I’ve had a glimpse of how the construction sector works, as well as the chance to work alongside industry professionals. It’s also really exciting that our project and ideas will form part of planning proposal for the redevelopment.”
The ‘Future Palace’ group of 20 students was selected from hundreds of applicants aged 16-22 from across the capital. Alongside sixth formers like Ali, the group also included university students, recent graduates and young professionals at the beginning of their careers. The 20 proposals covered a very wide range of renovation ideas for the Centre, including seating, roofing, drainage and water recycling, wayfinding, storage and pest prevention, as well as Ali’s lighting proposal.
Project manager Ashley Bowyer of Morgan Sindall said, “It’s been fantastic to work with this enthusiastic group, and very refreshing to have younger pairs of eyes look at the the redevelopment of the Centre for a new generation. Their ideas have helped shape the planning submissions and will have a real influence on the delivery of the project.”
Ali added: “I was told about the scheme by one of our teachers at SBUSixth, and I’m very glad to have been selected. As well as working on the project, I have also gained some work experience with Morgan Sindall which has helped shape my ideas for the future.”
Also involved in coordinating the Future Palace project were design consultants Beyond the Box and the Mayor of London’s office. You can see a video made about the project here.
