The sports pavilion at Sketty Lane was built in 1930-31 to the designs of Swansea architect Glendinning Moxham (1865-1946). The sports pavilion was the first purpose-built building at the recently established University College, Swansea, chartered in 1920 as the fourth college of the University of Wales.
Moxham had displayed a range of styles in his earlier buildings dating to the late Victorian and Edwardian periods, including Classical, grand Edwardian, and Arts and Crafts influences. The 1909 Glynn Vivian Art Gallery (NPRN 31791) and the 1912 YMCA (NPRN 31927) building both showcase his earlier Edwardian styles. The sports pavilion displays elements of his Classical style with the use of concrete Doric columns at the front (south) elevations. This ten bay south facing facade is centrally recessed where the columns support a first floor timber balcony with views over the sports fields. Ground floor male and female changing rooms are to the left and right entrance accordingly, whilst the left projecting bay contains ground floor office and first floor 'committee room' whilst the right bay contains the staircase leading to a function room with access to the balcony. A panelled timber 'refreshment bar' is situated in the function room, noted on the original plans as 'tea room'. The pavilion's white pebble dashed exterior rendering was a feature favoured by Moxham in the inter-war period, preceding its later twentieth century preference by many architects and builders.
Post-war extentions to the pavilion, as allowed and planned for in the original drawings, include a 1950s sports hall to the rear and a flat roofed shower block to the left side of the male changing rooms at the front of the building. Visually, this shower block impacts the south facing facade's original symmetry.
Part of Swansea University's estate, the building is earmarked for demolition as redevelopment takes place of the sports facilities at Sketty Lane, with a 'sports and medical tech hub' planned to replace the former 1930s pavilion by 2026.
M. Powel, January 2025.
Sources: OS Historic mapping; Planning file: Sports pavilion, Sketty Lane, University College Swansea. 1930. GB 216 BE 30/15086. West Glamorgan Archive Service; Cadw Inspection Report: Pavilion Building at Sketty Lanes Sports Park, Swansea University, 2023; 'What new sports and medical tech hub set for Swansea site will look like', Wales Online, 12 June 2024.