Win Mumby Gymnasium
The eagerly awaited world-class gymnasium at Woodstock School was unveiled to the school's students, staff, board members, alumni and other distinguished guests at a gala event held at the gym in September 2009. The multi-level building spanning more than 26,000 square feet was dedicated to Win Mumby, a former student and teacher at the school.
The gymnasium boasts modern, world-class facilities that mark it as one of the finest school gymnasia in all of the country. Built by the generosity of funds donated to the school by its alumni, including members of the Mumby family, the gym features a full-size basketball court with rollaway bleachers, volleyball facility on the court, mini basketball court, squash court, large climbing wall room, fitness gym, gymnastics room, table tennis room, equipment store, administrative offices, and two classrooms to teach theory or watch game tapes. The climbing wall at the gym is a particular highlight, helping to enhance Woodstock's focus on outdoor education.
The challenge in designing the gym was to see that the mammoth size of the structure should not stand out and dwarf the other buildings as part of the Woodstock campus. It had to offer a wide range of sporting facilities within the constraints of the flat space available on the hillside. It was ensured that these facilities were world-class, while retaining the look and feel of the Woodstock character.
Over 250 tons of structural steel was used in the construction of the gym. Many of the steel members were over 12 metres long and weighed 150 kgs each. All the stone work seen in the gym has utilised stones taken from the ground under the gym itself. The gym structure has been designed to withstand earthquakes up to 6.5 on the Richter scale. The need to create a larger footprint, to accommodate all the gym's facilities, meant that the structure had to be of a unique counter-balanced design to allow for the cantilevered slabs to project over the south and west side of the mountain. To achieve this, there is more cubic volume of concrete hidden under the floor of the gym than the entire structure that is visible within the gym The total area of the gym structure is 26,000 square feet and was constructed in 12 months at a cost of just under US$ 2 million.
The facilities in the Gym include
- 1 full size regulation basketball court.
- 1 practice basketball court
- 1 volleyball court
- 3 badminton courts
- 1 squash court
- Indoor soccer
- 4 table tennis tables
- 3 climbing walls
- Karate, judo, wrestling
- Fitness room fully equipped for cardio, strength and functional sports training
- Gymnastics/play area for Junior School
- 2 fully equipped classrooms with Smart Board technology
- 4 locker room and restroom facilities with 24 showers, 17 WCs, 16 handwash sinks and 104 lockers
The gym can accommodate 650 people for viewing of games on the main show court, and up to 1,300 people for other functions/ceremonies such as graduation. Special acoustic and thermal insulation has been installed as a lining along the entire roof. The entire gym has wi-fi connectivity.
Besides serving as a platform for sporting events and PE classes, the gym has also been used for other activities such as hosting the vertical dance troupe Project Bandaloop, holding PSAT and SAT examinations, and hosting the All-School Christmas Chapel. Larger events such as the graduation ceremony are also held at the gymnasium.
Virtual tour of the Win Mumby Gymnasium
