The storey-height form-giving steel space frame of the roof cantilevers out by more than three metres, covering the approach area like a floating canopy. On the outside of the cantilevered roof grid, the facade consists of a layer of recycled, shiny green plastic louvres. As a result, a hall has been created that is free of glare, despite the large areas of glazing on the upper level. In order to provide this deep space with even daylighting – as far back as the spectators’ gallery – roof lights were incorporated in the triangular bays of the lattice structure, and reflecting metal sheets extending vertically into the hall diffuse the incoming light. On the ground floor, sliding walls with ceramic elements link the hall with the outdoor sports area. The light is further filtered by the perforated units filled with coloured glass, which lends the internal space a bright, pleasant atmosphere.
The many different materials used – for example, the white-painted steel, the trapezoidal-section metal sheeting of the roof, the glass, the brick walls and the exposed concrete of the facades – are integrated to create a surprisingly harmonious form. The architects achieved this effect not least through the regular filigree nature of the structure and the surfaces. In a similar way, the slender steel rods of the balustrades and the wooden internal fittings follow the principle of using the most appropriate material for a particular situation and a form of construction that is as simple as possible.
