pool Architekten: Multipurpose Hall Wetzikon - best architects 17

pool Architekten

Multipurpose Hall Wetzikon

best architects 17

public buildings

Place

Wetzikon / Switzerland

Photos

Georg Aerni

Description

As the largest volume in the school complex, the new sports hall compresses the space leading to the main entrance of the Egg schoolhouse while at the same time allowing for expansive views of the park-like upper school facility. The foyer at schoolyard level has panoramic views of the entire complex and is bordered by a lush canopy of treetops along the adjacent Lendenbach brook. With its elegant support structure, the foyer forms a congenial zone between the spectators stands and the high-ceilinged hall. An inviting staircase leads past the locker room floor to a lobby at the sports level. This lobby can be combined with the multipurpose hall and thus used as a second foyer. The 31-metre width of the hall could be spanned thanks to the structural capabilities of glued laminated timber beams. The curves of the supports and the glazing toward the new schoolyard recall a veranda that offers views of the entire school grounds. The materials have been selected to adapt to the needs of different event formats; the foyer offers a suitable framework for festive occasions but is still sufficiently robust for everyday school use. Inside, the hall has wood panelling and is painted in a bright colour scheme. On the façade, vertical painted rough wood cladding and ribbon windows give the sports hall a look of elegant simplicity.