Dortech Architectural Systems Ltd is pleased to be supporting Tilbury Douglas on the new Halifax Leisure Centre at North Bridge, a major town-centre leisure development being delivered for Calderdale Council.
The project will bring modern swimming, sports, wellbeing and community facilities to Halifax while forming part of the town’s wider regeneration plans.
A new Halifax facility designed around sport, wellbeing and public access.
The new Halifax Leisure Centre is being delivered as a major town-centre facility for residents across Calderdale. Once complete, it is expected to include a 120-station fitness suite, an eight-court sports hall, a 25-metre six-lane swimming pool with spectator seating, a learner pool, changing facilities, wellbeing spaces, soft play, adventure areas, a cafe and community space.
It also forms part of Calderdale’s wider regeneration plans for Halifax. That means the building needs to do more than function well on the inside. It also needs to present a modern, welcoming public face and stand up to the daily demands of a busy, high-traffic environment.
684m² of curtain walling and entrance systems for a busy public building.
Dortech’s package comprises approximately 684m² of curtain walling, together with specialist manual doors and automatic sliding entrance doors. Installation works are scheduled to commence in November 2026.
In practical terms, curtain walling is the large glazed facade system that helps form the external face of the building. It brings natural light into the leisure centre, gives the development its modern visual character and helps create a clear connection between the internal spaces and the outside environment.
Technal Tental 50TT for the main facade package.
The curtain wall areas will be manufactured using the Technal Tental 50TT system, a high-performance aluminium facade system built from mechanically connected vertical and horizontal members, sealed perimeter details, gaskets, pressure plates and aluminium cover caps.
For the building user, the technical detail translates into something much simpler: a strong, durable, weather-resistant glazed facade designed to look good, perform reliably and stand up to the demands of a public leisure setting.
Performance glass, explained in plain English
Different parts of the building require different glass specifications depending on what sits behind the facade. That matters even more in leisure buildings, where pool halls, entrance areas, circulation spaces and activity zones all place different demands on daylight, heat control and safety.
Solar control glass
Cool-Lite SKN 175ii glass will be used externally to bring in strong natural light while helping reduce unwanted solar heat gain.
Comfort inside
In simple terms, the glass helps stop large glazed areas from contributing too much heat, glare and discomfort during warmer weather.
Enhanced safety
Pool areas will use 11.5mm toughened heat-soaked laminated glass where required to improve strength, safety and breakage control.
Doors designed for real public use.
Dortech will also deliver manual doors and automatic sliding entrance doors as part of the package. The main entrance lobby will use automatic sliding doors to support easy access for a wide range of users, including families, wheelchair users, older visitors and people arriving with sports equipment.
The manual doors will be manufactured using thermally broken aluminium systems. Put simply, that means the frame includes an insulating barrier to reduce heat transfer between outside and inside, helping improve comfort and energy performance compared with older aluminium door systems.
The doors will also include high-security locking, robust hardware, concealed closers and contrasting pull handles, supporting both security and accessibility in a high-traffic leisure environment.
A valued partnership with Tilbury Douglas.
“We are delighted to be working with Tilbury Douglas on the new Halifax Leisure Centre. Dortech has built a strong and valued relationship with Tilbury Douglas over many years, and this project is another excellent opportunity to demonstrate how closely aligned our values are in respect of project delivery, health and safety, quality and collaboration. Public leisure projects demand careful planning, robust systems and a genuine commitment to doing things properly, and we are proud to be contributing our specialist glazing expertise to such an important community facility.”
Supporting a more sustainable community facility.
Calderdale Council has highlighted the role of the new leisure centre in supporting health and wellbeing, economic growth and climate efficiency, with energy-efficient and sustainable features contributing to the borough’s Climate Action Plan and its target for net zero carbon emissions by 2038.
For Dortech, Halifax is a strong example of how architectural glazing supports more than appearance alone. The right facade, glass and door systems help improve daylight, comfort, safety, access, durability and energy performance in everyday use.
A modern public leisure building, designed to serve Halifax for years to come.
Construction began in May 2026 following enabling works, surveys and partial demolition of the old leisure centre. Early works have included major piling activity to create the foundations for the new building.
As the scheme progresses, Dortech is proud to support Tilbury Douglas in delivering a modern, durable and community-focused leisure facility for Halifax.
