International school lays first stone of new sports centre

The British School of Brussels (BSB) in Tervuren recently laid down the first symbolic stone for its new sports centre during a festive ceremony (pictured). The construction works on the school campus began last October and should finish by the spring of 2016. 

The construction work, which will replace a now demolished, much smaller sports centre, was dubbed Project 3-2-1 by BSB – a title that symbolises more than just the countdown process. 

The number “3”, for instance, refers to the new centre’s three main facilities – a swimming pool, gymnasium and sports hall. The centre will also house a dance studio, eatery and offices. The buildings will cover a 7,700 square-metre surface area, while the entire site is 8.3 hectares large.

The “2” in the project name refers to the estimated two-year duration of the construction, while “1” is the address number of the centre. 

When the centre is completed, the international school’s 1,350 students will be able to practice a large variety of sports on their campus, both during and after school hours. According to BSB principal Sue Woodroofe, the most popular sports at BSB are swimming, rugby, hockey, gymnastics, football, cross country, basketball and tennis. “Our swimming and tennis teams both consist of 300 students each,” she says.

The principal stresses that the sports centre will also invite students’ families. The facility should furthermore provide opportunities to help local charity organisations by having students volunteer to assist individuals with disabilities during sports exercises, for example.

Woodroofe says that Project 3-2-1 is the most prestigious initiative in the school’s history. “Our ambition is to construct the best school sports centre in Europe,” she says. 

Photo courtesy BSB