From a distance, the minimalist and elegant cubic building immediately catches the eye. With its facade of perforated, fine-scaled trapezoidal metal sheeting and continuous ribbon windows, the new sports hall designed by Thoma Lay Buchler Architektenpartnerschaft marks the entrance to the sports facility. The hall connects seamlessly with the outdoor playing fields and the new "Athletes' Boulevard," which runs along the pitch and links the hall to the side seating areas and the adjacent school courtyard. From the parking lot, lined with mature and newly planted trees, a path leads through the "Athletes' Forum"—a gathering plaza designed as a social hub—to the main entrance of the two-court hall. Generously scaled concrete bleachers invite lingering, while a tree integrated into the wood-clad seating island provides shade on sunny days. Upon entering the sports hall through the covered entrance, visitors arrive in the foyer, which opens up through to the upper floor. This space features exposed concrete walls that give the soaring room a robust and dynamic character. On one side, a glass door offers views into the sports hall, while on the other, access leads to the glazed corridor zone. Large, flush-mounted window surfaces frame views of the outdoor sports fields. Benches both inside and outside provide comfortable spots for spectating or waiting. Throughout the hall interior, a carefully curated palette of materials creates visual harmony: light spruce wood, anthracite-colored cast asphalt, and exposed concrete for walls and stairs. Visible, clearly articulated laminated timber roof trusses, combined with the suspended ceiling, integrated light strips, and wall paneling of narrow spruce wood slats, establish a serene spatial atmosphere and acoustic environment in the tripartite hall. Ribbon windows along the upper hall edge and east-facing skylights connect the interior with the verdant surroundings. The movement of tree canopies in the wind creates a beautiful interplay of light and shadow within the space, further enhanced by temperature and wind-controlled awnings. Above the hall floor runs a narrow corridor that serves as a flexible viewing platform and provides access to divisible changing rooms and multipurpose spaces. In addition to various thermal protection measures, a central ventilation system with highly efficient heat recovery was installed. Positioned within a recessed roof zone, it is topped flush with the roofline by photovoltaic modules. Both elements remain invisible from the surrounding area, preserving the hall's clean, cubic appearance.

www.thoma-lay-buchler.de

Photography Credits:

Simon Sommer
www.simon-sommer.de

(Published in CUBE Stuttgart 03|23)