University of Wales Institute, Cardiff

Client: University of Wales Institute
Architect: Howard Osbaldeston, of Noel Architects
Type of works: Altro Mondo Sportflex flooring has been installed throughout most of Wales National Indoor Athletics Centre at UWIC, the University of Wales Institute, Cardiff.

This spike resistant rubber flooring system covers almost every area, apart from shower rooms which have Altro Marine 20 safety flooring on floors and Altro Walkway 20 flooring on walls for a totally slip resistant and hygienic environment.

Britain's only purpose-built indoor athletics stadium has a 200 metre banked track, an eight-lane 60 metre sprint, a 140-metre straight, high jump, long jump, triple jump, throws training and pole vault areas.

In a BBC Radio 5 interview, Darren Campbell, 200m Silver medal winner at both the 2000 Olympic Games and 2001 World Indoor Athletics Championships, attributed the success of Welsh athletes to the country's outstanding training facilities.

Altro Mondo Sportflex covers 3000m², including the competition area, seating, viewing gallery, locker area, corridors and changing rooms. Wherever footwear with spikes could be worn.

Architect Howard Osbaldeston, of Noel Architects, Cardiff, said "Rather than running the risk of spikes damaging other floor surfaces, we installed the flooring throughout so that competitors can keep their footwear on between events, or can walk all the way from the changing room to the arena without changing shoes."

"Altro Mondo Sportflex was the only solution because it is spike resistant, high performance and matches the adjacent outdoor track."

"In the shower area, Altro Marine flooring offers slip resistance for barefoot use, durability and assists cleaning and maintenance avoiding the problem of tiles cracking or being broken. This factor led us to carrying the flooring up the walls with Altro Walkway 20."

"We are proud of the centre which is a fantastic facility for athletes and sports people of all ages and abilities, and we incorporated a number of novel features. The banking is on an hydraulic mechanism enhancing the versatility of the track for wheelchair users and junior athletes and movable walls in the changing rooms allow for varying numbers." Built at a cost of £7.1 million the centre won the Lord Mayor's Award ahead of the Millennium Stadium for the best large new building in Cardiff in 2000.

Bernhards Sports Surfaces of Rugby installed Altro Mondo Sportflex, while Peter Evans Flooring of Barry Laid Altro safety flooring in the shower area.