Link Centre

The Link Centre is a leisure centre in Swindon, England. The building, owned and operated by the Swindon Borough Council, is best known for its national-sized ice rink which houses the English Premier Ice Hockey League team the Swindon Wildcats. It also contains the largest climbing wall in Wiltshire.

History

The centre was first commissioned by Thamesdown Borough Council (later renamed Swindon Borough Council) in 1970 to provide leisure and social facilities for an estimated West Swindon population of 50,000. Design was undertaken in-house under chief architect K P Sherry and work began on the site in 1983.

The space-age, multi-axial design incorporating an Ice Rink, Swimming pool and other facilities opened in April 1985, received an estimated 1 million visitors in its first year of operation and "won awards and favourable mentions in architectural circles."

"The complex, designed to provide facilities for more than 20 sports and leisure activities, was described in architectural and sports journals as the most comprehensive development of its kind in Britain. Among the early visitors who came to Swindon specially to see it was Richard Tracey, who was Sports Minister in Margaret Thatcher's government."