Victoria Leisure Centre wins architecture award

A six-lane 25m swimming pool is one of the new features of the centre

A Nottingham leisure centre which underwent a £9m improvement scheme has won a Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) award for its design.

Work started at the 100-year-old Victoria Leisure Centre, in Sneinton, in 2010.

Hundreds of people marched through the city in 2008, in protest at possible closure plans by Nottingham City Council.

The authority said it was delighted the leisure centre had won the award.

Councillor David Trimble, Nottingham City Council's portfolio holder for culture, said: "Victoria Leisure Centre is a stunning building which has supported the wider regeneration of Sneinton Square."

New facilities include a six-lane 25m swimming pool, a fully equipped gym and a separate children's splash area.

The building won the RIBA Regional Award for the Midlands at a ceremony in Leicester.