Blackheath Padel Club
The proposal for the former tennis club at Blackheath Park reimagines a long-disused site as a new padel facility, comprising eight covered courts, associated landscape and amenity provision.
Set discreetly within the Cador Estate on the southern edge of Blackheath Park, the site has remained vacant for over 15 years following fire damage to the original pavilion.
Once active, it has since become overgrown and inaccessible. The project seeks to restore purpose and activity, reintroducing a publicly beneficial use.
The scheme responds carefully to its sensitive setting; adjacent to the Blackheath Park Conservation Area and opposite Grade II listed No.103 Blackheath Park. Massing and height are deliberately restrained, allowing the development to sit comfortably within its residential context while preserving neighbouring amenity.
Existing trees define the spatial character of the proposal, forming a continuous green buffer that screens the site and anchors it within its woodland setting. This framework is reinforced through targeted planting to enhance biodiversity and ecological continuity.
A new clubhouse is positioned on the footprint of the former pavilion, maintaining continuity with the site’s history while minimising ground disturbance.
The building is low-lying and embedded within the landscape, drawing on Scandinavian architectural principles of simplicity, durability and a close relationship to nature. A timber-led material palette provides warmth and tactility, allowing the building to recede into its surroundings.
Generous openings and covered external thresholds establish a direct connection between the clubhouse, courts and landscape, supporting year-round use. Internally, the building provides a clear and accessible arrangement of changing facilities, reception and social space, alongside sheltered viewing areas.
Environmental performance is integral to the design. A fabric-first approach is combined with efficient servicing, green roofs, rainwater harvesting and low-energy systems. Enhanced planting and increased tree cover further contribute to the site’s long-term resilience.
The project is defined by the careful reuse of a forgotten site, balancing new sporting infrastructure with a measured and landscape-led response. Through restraint, clarity and continuity, the scheme re-establishes activity while quietly sitting within its Blackheath Park context.
