The buildings were designed for the sloping site in Gauze Road by Alison, Hutchison & Partners in 1972 for Central Regional Council and opened in 1976. The exterior features an open scale and platt staircase and ramp access to the main entrance on the first floor. Described by one architect as a “metal box” it has large areas of windows, typical of this period. It houses meeting rooms, games rooms and a swimming pool, with tennis and football pitches outside. These facilities support indoor bowling, football, keep fit classes, badminton, the 50+ club, yoga, squash, and so on. The main feature is the swimming pool measuring 25m x 12.5m with six lanes and a large viewing area for up to 60 spectators. This allows a wide range of water based activities to take place – not just swimming, but also synchronised swimming and sub-aqua diving. The pool is set in a thick concrete trough terraced into the hill slope with most of it set above ground on a supporting frame. Some water leaches though the concrete, carrying with it calcium, to form small stalactites on the outer face. Even though the water comes from the mains it is filtered in large containers to remove small particles and chemically treated to kill bacteria and remove parasites like Cryptosporidium. Infamously chlorine is added, find out why and how. Due to the restricted spaces involved there is no wheelchair access. Courtesy of Falkirk Community Trust & the management of the Recreation Centre.