Indoor Sports Centre

Year2012

CategoryCompetition, Sports

LocationČeské Budějovice

StatusDesign

The sports hall is designed on an attractive site close to important municipal sports facilities and the historic town centre. The architectural design makes the individual functions clearly legible from the outside and organises the whole complex clearly, so that spectators, athletes and visitors can easily find their way around.

The centre consists of a group of interconnected buildings comprising the main sports hall, a training hall, an athletics corridor and the associated operational and technical facilities. The individual parts are designed as a functionally integrated whole that allows various sports activities to take place simultaneously while creating a clearly structured environment.

An important theme of the design is the relationship between the individual volumes and their legibility within the wider urban context. The complex therefore does not read as a single closed block, but as an ensemble of buildings with their own identity, which together form a compact sports centre with clear operation and unambiguous orientation.

Client	Statutory City of České Budějovice
Design team	Martin Krupauer

Main sports hall

The sports hall for top-level and performance sport is defined by a striking volume on a circular plan. This arrangement makes it possible to create the largest possible number of spectator seats in attractive positions.

The oval layout of the stands creates the desired ‘cauldron’ atmosphere, providing an intense sporting experience for players and spectators alike. The hall is spanned by timber trusses, which form the main structural and architectural motif of the interior.

Training hall and athletics corridor

The training hall forms a volumetric counterpoint to the main sports hall. Its simple block with rounded corners stems entirely from its functional layout. The training hall also has spectator seating, which can be used when hosting tournaments.

The volumetric composition is complemented by the floating tube of the running corridor, inserted between the two halls. The tube has an elliptical cross-section and is an important element of the whole scheme, both architecturally and functionally.