Sports Hall in Zurich by L3P Architekten

In the Brüttisellen district west of Zurich, there is a rehabilitation center for approximately thirty young people who find it difficult to integrate into society. These youths live here and spend their free time under supervision. The newly built gymnasium by the Swiss studio L3P Architekten has quickly become a sought-after place for the local residents. This architectural gem combines static needs with a sculptural expression that draws attention. The sports hall offers a playing area of 15 x 10 m with a height of 5 m and two gyms. The gym is set three meters into the terrain and is directly connected underground to the existing building, making use of the already available sanitary facilities. Over the past five years, the rehabilitation home has been supplemented with additional sections (housing, training, administration) by a number of different architects. The mass of the gym closes off the central courtyard and shields it from the main access road. The low mass with a continuous band of windows (without doors) and slanted columns lends the building an airiness. The unusual columns not only bear the vertical load of the concrete roof but also take on horizontal forces and torque. The slope and number of columns are purely derived from structural requirements. By limiting itself to just two materials (exposed concrete and glass), the plasticity of the load-bearing structure is showcased. The possibility of a sightline through the building from the street to the inner courtyard was expressly requested. At dawn, the building shines and confirms its new central function within the entire complex. The walls inside the gym are lined with plywood made of French maritime pine. For acoustic reasons, 85 percent of these panels are perforated. The arrangement of the panels in space creates a graphic interplay of perforated and solid panels.