Borchen Sports Hall

The newly constructed sports hall was designed to accommodate the needs of the adjacent Primary School and of sports clubs in the municipality of Borchen.

It is conceived as a compact structure that reflects the alignment of the neighbouring school building and thus integrates into the overall structures at this location. Using the steeply sloping terrain this new building offers a simple, clear development concept that reacts to the varying flow of visitors. Spectators enter the building on the upper level without any barriers while sports players and schoolchildren enter the building through a second entrance on the lower level, opposite the primary school, which is thus directly connected to the sports hall. The two entrances are connected outside the building by a ramp that runs parallel to it.

Despite the simple concept, which was geared primarily to efficiency, the building was also designed with interior qualities. Galleries, air spaces and wall walls were also included for this purpose, enabling many different sight lines within the building. The carefully placed window openings not only ensure pleasant, glare-free lighting in the central utility areas but also provide views over the surrounding landscape and views onto the sporting events in the hall.

Due to a tight budget the building was designed with a plaster façade that gives the monolithic structure a lively appearance with its slightly varying shades of grey in various areas and widths.

The outdoor areas are planned in such a way that the old and new buildings are interwoven with one another while retaining the existing topography and creating a varied network of paths between the neighbouring roads. The spaces in front of the building entrances are designed to attract visitors to spend time there