Doncaster Dome: Leisure centre becomes listed building

Doncaster Dome has been granted Grade II listed status by Historic England

A leisure centre opened just over 30 years ago has joined a list of some of the country's most important buildings.

Doncaster Dome, which was completed in 1989, has been given Grade II listed status by Historic England.

Opened by Princess Diana, the distinctive build contains an ice rink, pools, flumes and other attractions.

Michael Hart, of the trust which runs the site, said he was "very surprised" to get the recognition due to the building's relatively young age.

According to Historic England, at the time of construction, the Dome was recognised as Europe's largest leisure centre.

The listed status means the site is considered to have historic importance and should get extra legal protection as a result.

Princess Diana meets crowds at the official opening of Doncaster Dome on 29 November 1989

After getting over the shock of the listing, Mr Hart, chief executive of Doncaster Culture and Leisure Trust, said: "When you look at the venue and the facilities it has, we can understand completely why it was listed."

He said the status would "preserve the venue", adding future generations would also get to build memories.

Noting the vast atrium that greets visitors, David Hornsby, the council's design and conservation officer, said leisure centres of the day were designed to take people "away from the humdrum of modern day life".

How the pool looked prior to the official opening in November 1989

Commissioned by the council to help drive economic regeneration, the building - which cost £25m to build - was designed by architects Faulkner-Brown Hendy Watkinson Stonor.

Historic England said the "bold, geometric shapes, polished banded walls and dramatic steel frame" created "an eye-catching building", adding "the obvious intent was pleasure and fun rather than serious sport".

When it opened, the Dome attracted more than one million visitors annually and won numerous leisure awards.

The centre continues to be enjoyed, with Historic England stating it offers visitors "a varied and up-to-date sports and cultural events programme".

The Dome is noted locally for its unusual shape and decoration

According to to The Twentieth Century Society, a charity that campaigns for the preservation of architectural heritage, The Dome was considered to be the firm's "most ambitious" building to date.

Built on a former coalfield on the edge of Doncaster, the society said it was conceived as "a park for the 21st Century".

Among the attractions advertised were "the largest flume ride in Britain", the society added.

The Dome is one of 16 sites to have been listed in 2023 for their "historic and architectural importance", Historic England said.

The National Heritage List for England is held and managed by Historic England on behalf of the government.

It identifies the buildings, sites and landscapes which receive special protection, so they can be enjoyed by current and future generations.