National Space Centre, Leicester—from storm tank to star dome

A 100 m long, disused urban storm tank built in the 1920s is now serving as the foundation for the UK's exciting new National Space Centre on the banks of the River Soar in Leicester. The Millennium Commission funded project has set a new benchmark for urban regeneration, not only for its skillful reuse of redundant infrastructure but also for its innovative approaches to structural design, internal climate control and contamination management. It features a 40 m high ‘bubble-wrapped’ rocket tower, a complex combination of naturally vented and air-conditioned internal spaces and a large, under-vented car-parking area to cover the most contaminated parts of the site.