A World Under The A40

This is not the best photo in the world, but I love the idea and use of space. I visited The Westway, a sports centre in London near Latimer Road, for the first time today. Initially oblivious to our surroundings (we were pretty excited about conquering the climbing wall), we later discovered that the sports complex, indoor and out, is situated right underneath two massive overpasses. There's a riding school, football pitch, tennis courts... The list goes on. All under the A40.

It's a little odd at first, but I can't imagine what else you could put in this space to make it useable as it's dark and otherwise quite wasteland-y. And best of all, it's situation on less-than prime real estate land was reflected in the prices, which for London's biggest climbing wall were very reasonable.

Here's my favorite bit- the outdoor football pitch. Not strictly underneath either overpass, but cleverly built upon an underground car park. Brilliant! And so inspiring. I'd love to see more examples of how others have used wasteland space for better purposes in cities.