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Article from issue 1+2/2004 »Timber Construction«

Sports Hall in Odate

documentation p. 56 - 59
Architect Shigeru Ban Architects | Structural Engineer Merz, Kaufmann & Partner |

Drafts
Detailed sections 1:20
Floor plan 1:400
Sections 1:400
Site plan 1:1000

Attached to a hospital in Japan, the hall serves as an instruction centre for sports therapy. In order not to overwhelm the small-scale existing developments, the bulk of the structure was sunk into the ground. The visible oval dome spans a length of 28m and a width of 20m. Its outer surface is articulated with strips of sheet steel and translucent curved polycarbonate sheeting, which allows the ingress of natural light. On the underside, the dome is lined with laminated boarding and radiates a surprising feeling of warmth. The domed shape was formed by using curved cross-beams with parallel lower and upper chords and with lateral bracing beams, thus creating a three-dimensional lattice-shell.