This tilting sports centre by Archi5 and Tecnova Architecture has a multi-hued basalt facade and a faceted roof garden (+ slideshow).
French studios Archi5 and Tecnova Architecture designed the Multisports Complex for the residents of Antony – a community in the southern suburbs of Paris.
The newly created public sports space offers a variety of facilities, including a dance hall and martial arts dojo, and has been designed to stand out from the surrounding urban landscape.
"What we sought to spark off was people's curiosity and a thirst for mystery; a child's fascination to know what's inside the big box," Archi5 said. "This led us to design this huge, dark monolith, which is a break from local architecture."
Locally sourced basalt stone clads the exterior of the complex and features a variety of different hues.
"The monolith is deconstructed by the variety of stones used to clad the facade and the way these are pieced together, like a construction set," the architects said.
"The building changes depending on the angle from which you look at it, the time of day, the light or the season," they explained.
A faceted roof garden supported by a steel structure sits atop the building, punctured by skylights that allow natural light to flood the complex. Vertical window panels can also be manually operated to control the amount of light into space.
One corner of the building has been raised, sheltering a glazed entrance into the complex.
On the ground floor, a multi-purpose sports hall offers space for fencing, table tennis and other sports programs, while changing rooms next to the main hall connect to a second side entrance.
A martial arts dojo and dance hall sit across the first floor, with a tiled matte surface to ensure people don't slip whilst exercising.
An underground parking area can be accessed through the building's lobby and an astroturfed outdoor football field attached to the back of the complex allows residents to play in any season.
Photography is by Thomas Jorion.
Here's some more text from the architects:
Multisports Complex Antony, France
The project's design and planning focus on a thorough understanding of the local context. The building responds to existing scales. Its location and architecture denote the space's public nature and inject new life into the site. By taking surrounding public spaces into consideration when designing the project, we reinforced the notion that this building is a public facility, a landmark within the surrounding disorder.
So as to allude to a mind's eye view we asked ourselves how we could draw attention to the building without stirring up too much controversy. What we sought to spark off was people's curiosity and a thirst for mystery: a child's fascination to know what is in-side a big box. This is what led us to design this huge, dark monolith, which is a break from local architecture, with rows of pink houses or over complex public buildings. A mysterious big black box planted in an urban landscape. Curiosity is satisfied once the way to go in is found, on a raised corner where the entrance is located.
We wanted the passer-by to see something different to what the residents see. We achieved this by an interplay between different elements, the roof garden offering an alternative landscape – a hanging square. On the inside, the surfaces adapt and follow the height of the different sports areas. This creates a dynamic between the different components of the project. The monolith is deconstructed by the variety of stones used to clad the facade and the way these are pieced together, like a construction set. The building changes depending on the angle from which you look at it, the time of day, the light or the season.
This single structure houses the main functions of the program: fencing/table tennis hall, dance hall, combat areas and other activities. The building's compact nature is its greatest environmental asset. Natural light floods in, in spite of the solid facades. Vertical window panels allow light to be controlled and adapted to the needs of the sport being practiced. We designed this facility to be simple, powerful and almost timeless.
Architects: Archi5
Associated architects: Tecnova Architecture
Surface: 3,989 sqm
Main contractor: Bateg
Engineer: EPDC
Landscape designer: HYL