School Sports Hall in Wachbach, Bad Mergentheim

Built partly into the slope of the site, this new sports hall is set beneath the existing concrete school building, dating from the 1960s. The roof of the hall was, therefore, designed as a fifth facade and has a timber-strip covering. Light enters the hall via a series of glazed north-light roofs and glances over the visible roof structure. The flow of forces is clearly legible. The north-light roofs are borne at the sides by scale beams, which are supported by steel columns and stayed by flat steel members. Both the columns and the stays are situated outside the building, as are the load-bearing facade rails. The facade is suspended from steel cables in the plane of the glass and ensures good visual links between the hall and the outdoor realm.