SportHalle on the Zenne

Sport – once the exclusive domain of sports clubs – is now an inseparable part of everyday social life. Sport charges public space with activity, dynamism and social encounters. The social and economic value of sport is at the forefront of politics, the civil service and the media. The importance of sport in society gets its spatial translation in Halle through a new urban typology: the hybrid urban sport park, which is embedded both spatially and programmatically in the existing city. The sports cluster is not a building or complex but, above all, an important public place within Halle’s inner-city pedestrian network.

The new sports building manifests itself at ground level as a cluster of three volumes around a sunken patio. The modest footprint and height of the volumes above ground preserve views and leave room for two pedestrian connections from the surrounding residential buildings towards the Zenne park.

The volumes represent the aboveground part of the main sports hall and the gym as well as a centrally located park pavilion where the reception, the cafeteria, the offices and the meeting room are located. The transparent park pavilion forms the link between indoor (sports) and outdoor (sports), between park and patio and between the upper world and underground sports world organized on two levels.

The -1 level is for the spectator, in the form of a balcony with views on all sport halls. The sunken patio located here forms the heart of the sports cluster, providing daylight and orientation to the visitor. The -2 level is the domain of the athlete, giving access to the multi-purpose hall, the main hall, the martial arts hall and the gymnastics hall. The two main halls are provided with generous windows on all sides at ground level and open completely on one longitudinal side towards the balcony on level -1.

The main hall is dimensioned (67x32m) to increase flexibility and permit a wider range of sporting opportunities. The multifunctional pavilion and the clear logistics with separated levels for athlete and spectator/visitor ensure that the sport cluster can also accommodate other functions such as markets, parties, performances, exhibitions or major school exams.