In 2021, the University of Southampton announced a £36 million investment into the provision of sports and wellbeing at Southampton Sport, starting with a major expansion of the Jubilee Sports and Recreation Centre. The upgraded facilities opened in September 2024 as students returned to a new academic year. Phillip Malatesta, Head of Sport & Community Services, explains how the project was designed in collaboration with its users.

“Collaboration and inclusivity are at the heart of the University’s strategy,” said Phillip. “But we all know about the barriers to being active. Our vision with the Jubilee Centre was to create a destination of choice for students and the wider community.”Southampton Sport offers an array of services to encourage participation, from scholarship programmes and community initiatives to the Jubilee Sports Centre, which now has a state-of-the-art gym, 72 acres of outdoor space, 4G pitches, and speed climbing facilities.

Throughout the process, Southampton Sport asked a wide range of students about the layout, equipment, and experiences that would encourage them to be more active. The expanded Jubilee gym is double the size of the previous gym, with a streamlined digital experience and cutting-edge equipment from Technogym.

Central to the extension was the selection of accessible and inclusive equipment. Technogym were selected as a partner thanks to their reputation in the University sports sector, the quality and variety of their equipment, and their advanced digital capabilities that would help the Jubilee Sports Centre enter a new era.

The Jubilee Sports Centre gym marks a significant moment for the ongoing partnership between Southampton Sport and Technogym, however the partnership extends beyond equipment provision, with Technogym delivering comprehensive staff training to maximise the functionality of the new kit.

The former facilities lacked community spaces where users could make connections and develop the soft skills that can emerge from University sport. The extension is built with wellbeing in mind, with sustainable materials, natural light, and greenery encouraging mental wellbeing.

In response to student feedback, there’s a much higher provision of strength training equipment, and the cardio kit is digitally enhanced with content and programming.

The expanded gym space is zoned into a free weights area and distinct strength section with Selection Line strength equipment and more half racks than before, cardio area featuring Excite Line, Skillrow from Skill Line, and functional training zone: space-saving Technogym Universe, combining racks, multipower and cable machines meet the increased interest in functional and strength training.

Central to the gym floor sits Technogym’s innovative Kinesis One cable solution, chosen for its user-friendly design and adaptability, making it accessible to users of all abilities, including those with disabilities.

A separate Group Cycle studio has doubled the gym’s previous provision of indoor cycles from 12 to 24. The boutique-style space has been turning heads on new member tours, with digital content, atmospheric lighting, and audio. The immersive cycle classes will be offered on an instructor-led and virtual basis for round-the-clock timetabling.