Padel Court Under the Westway: Reclaiming Urban Space for Sport and Community

Reclaiming space under the Westway for sport, community, and connection

In the shadows of flyovers and the thrum of West London traffic, an unexpected idea is taking root. Just metres from Portobello Market and the Grand Union Canal, beneath the vast concrete canopy of the Westway, a new kind of civic space is emerging—one that reclaims the underside of infrastructure for people, not just cars.

RISE Design Studio was invited to design a community pavilion and panel tennis court—a rare opportunity to stitch sport, sustainability, and social purpose into the forgotten in-between of the city. And in doing so, to show what’s possible when overlooked spaces are reimagined not as leftovers, but as seeds.

A covered urban padel court designed by RISE Design Studio — transforming underused space beneath the Westway into a vibrant community sports hub.

Reclaiming the overlooked

There’s a raw beauty to this site. Concrete pillars, streaked with age and graffiti. The soft echo of passing traffic. Shafts of light piercing gaps between overpasses. Our proposal doesn’t erase this—it works with it. We imagined a pavilion and court that feels embedded, like it’s always been waiting to happen here. A place for play, for pause, for people.

The brief was bold but grounded: create a covered outdoor court and a multi-use pavilion that could welcome everyone—young and old, club players and curious passersby. The client didn’t want polish; they wanted personality. Something tough enough for urban life, but warm enough to invite you in.

More than a court

At the heart of the proposal is a panel tennis court, a high-intensity, small-footprint format that’s as social as it is physical. It’s fast, fun, and perfect for urban contexts. The court sits snugly between columns, making use of the shelter above while open to air and light at the sides. Integrated lighting allows for year-round play, while acoustic buffers soften the ambient roar.

The court is anchored by a new community pavilion—a hybrid structure part shelter, part hangout. Timber-framed and panel-clad, the form draws on the rhythm of the viaduct above, echoing its geometry without competing. Inside, a flexible room opens up to the court with large sliding doors, allowing for coaching, events, or simply somewhere to watch, recharge, and connect.

A pavilion that gives more

Inside, the space adapts easily:

• A social room for 40–60 people, with adaptable partitions

• A small café bar offering drinks and simple meals

• Toilets, changing facilities, and an accessible WC

• Secure equipment storage and space for stringing or maintenance

• Integrated AV and WiFi for community screenings or workshops

• External seating, bike parking, and planted edges that soften the hardscape

There’s a deliberate ruggedness to the materials—corrugated metal, charred timber, exposed bolts. But it’s paired with softness where it matters: good insulation, acoustic treatments, thoughtful lighting. A space that can take a beating, and still feel like home.

Building lightly, thinking long

Under the Westway, every watt and every drop counts. We’ve designed the structure to use:

• Solar panels on adjacent south-facing structures

• Air-source heat pumps to reduce reliance on gas

• Rainwater harvesting for cleaning and landscaping

• Low-VOC, recycled, and low-embodied carbon materials

• Passive ventilation strategies and thermally broken detailing

This isn’t a vanity project—it’s about resilience. Keeping costs down and comfort up for decades to come. Sustainability here isn’t an aesthetic; it’s a necessity.

A new kind of club

This isn’t Wimbledon. And it’s not trying to be. It’s louder, grittier, more alive. It’s music echoing under concrete. It’s kids discovering sport between buses and skateboards. It’s an elder passing on stories between sets. It’s the city, at play.

At RISE, we believe this is what architecture must do—make space where there is none. Invite joy where there was only noise. Create legacy in the unlikeliest of places.

Building for the future

At RISE, we believe that creating community infrastructure is never just about design. It’s about possibility. About dignity. About weaving generosity into the everyday. This pavilion and court are an invitation—to gather, to play, to belong.

→ Thinking of reclaiming overlooked space in your neighbourhood? Let’s explore what it could become.
→ Email us at architects@risedesignstudio.co.uk
→ Or call the studio on 020 3947 5886

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