Concept: Sports Facilities

Skateboarding and parkour, breakdance and Zumba: a variety of sports have recently gained in popularity, becoming a regular part of people’s everyday lives. However, most sports halls remain limited in their function to ball sports and gymnastics, excluding a wider range of possible uses. Many are also outdated, with dark spaces and little natural light. All in all, much can be done to liven up the situation for their use by schools and clubs. In serving the local community as well, sport centres need to be well lit and easily accessible. It is high time that we redesign sports buildings with today’s needs in mind – like Turó de la Peira sports centre in Barcelona. This is where, in a densely populated suburb of the Catalan metropolis, architects Anna Noguera and Javier Fernández stacked a swimming pool and a sports court on top of each other. By saving space, they were also able to create an inviting park landscape around it. With its green facades and premises, the centre has become a new focal point for the entire district. We document the building process in detail, including an interview with Anna Noguera and a contribution by the project’s energy consultant, Xavier Saltó (p. 72).

Our September issue examines a variety of sport building typologies – such as a converted industrial hall in Viborg, Denmark, which gives street sports a permanent home; and the Brombach sports hall in Lörrach, with its half-submerged spaces and well-lit rooms. Different forms of access as well as flexible use for spaces that might be subdivided are just a few of the common requirements that must be dealt with architecturally. The type of construction and the supporting structure are also decisive, as large halls require large spans. Swimming pools are no less demanding in terms of planning – a topic we take up in our essay highlighting recent impressive examples.
Enjoy this concept issue dedicated to sports facilities!