Britain’s first illuminated smart floor installed at Oxford University sports centre
by Andrew Manns | 27 Sep 2018
ASB glass floor in use at Acer Nethercott Hall / courtesy of FaulknerBrowns
Architectural design practice FaulkerBrowns in collaboration with Beard Construction have installed Britain’s first LED-lit, smart glass floor at Oxford’s Acer Nethercott Hall.
Designed by German design company ASB, the futuristic floor–controlled with a touchpad–uses flexible under-floor lighting to provide custom line markings for a range of sports, such as badminton, basketball, and football.
The lights can appear in a variety of colours and patterns, all of which can be programmed remotely.
The new addition to the 700-square metre space took six weeks to instal. It is part of £60 million project to redevelop Oxford’s Iffley road sports centre.
Speaking on the floor’s historic significance, Dean Averies, director of Beard said:
“We’re delighted to have been involved in the construction of this cutting-edge sports hall for the University of Oxford which is a first of its kind in the country. As specialists in the delivery of sports centres, we believe these smart glass sports floors are the way of the future, offering a sustainable hi-tech solution that outperforms traditional sports flooring.”
The Iffley road complex first entered the history books in 1954, when Sir Roger Bannister broke the four-minute mile record while running a race on a track located on the premises.
It was renamed in 2015 to honour the memory of Oxford alumnus and Olympic medallist Acer Nethercott, who succumbed to cancer in 2013.
ASB glass floor Oxford FaulknerBrowns Beard Construction LED
Architectural design practice FaulkerBrowns in collaboration with Beard Construction have installed Britain’s first LED-lit, smart glass floor at Oxford’s Acer Nethercott Hall. Designed by German design company ASB, the futuristic floor–controlled with a touchpad–uses flexible under-floor lighting to provide custom line markings for a range of sports, such as badminton, basketball, and football. The lights can appear in a variety of colours and patterns, all of which can be programmed
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