Sport facilities Pfaffenholz

The Pfaffenholz sports complex lies on one edge on the border between France and Switzerland. Its Swiss neighbor is the eight-year-younger private clinic REHAB. When visiting the site, you think about the concept of borders and the growth of the city, which in the case of Basel represents an interesting three-national phenomenon. The more it impresses you that while you can cross freely between REHAB and the sports facility, customs officers will subject you to an inspection when passing through the customs office 150 meters higher.
The Pfaffenholz sports facility was created for the needs of residents from both cities, the French Saint Louis and the Swiss Basel. It consists of several sports fields, among which is a sports hall. The sports hall structure consists of several facilities, the largest of which is the central gymnasium, surrounded by a ring of changing rooms partly serving external sports facilities. Of course, there are rooms for staff, coaches, club rooms, etc.
The appearance of the sports hall is minimal. The black glass box complemented by the concrete block of external changing rooms does not communicate with the surroundings at all and functions as a total solitaire. The maximum care for the outer shell from the architects is noteworthy. The black box is clad with a double facade, featuring an outer glass layer adorned with a black print that reflects insulation with heraklit. After this discovery, you ponder a bit about the symbolism of imprint and truth in architecture. The concrete changing rooms are decorated with abstract animal "prints." This motif was deepened on the library of a vocational school in Eberswalde, Germany, where the application of photography on concrete was brought to absolute perfection. The pop motif is the numbering of the changing room doors, where the architects used a typeface cut used on athletes' jerseys.
The interior of the sports hall also feels similarly cold. The only variety is the support system, where instead of classic columns, Herzog & de Meuron used slanted supports in the shape of a V. A spatially interesting motif is the lodge for spectators. The materials used are haptically sterile - concrete, screeds, marmoleum, black lacquered wood. If you are looking for an example of architectural minimalism, the sports hall situated in the middle of the Pfaffenholz complex is a 100% hit on the mark.