Community benefit is among the first terms mentioned when announcing a new public project. This is especially true in the case of sports halls, promising improvements in well-being and social cohesion. At a closer look, two typologies of sports halls emerge, with varying degrees of involvement with community life: on the one hand, there are large-scale venues dedicated to hosting international competitions, often boosting the capacities of thousands of people, taking on the role of modern landmarks alongside stadiums. On the other hand, there are small-scale multi-purpose sports halls, commonly annexed to schools, dispersed throughout neighborhoods, or present in rural areas with limited access to other public amenities. Despite the often-understated presence, these venues embrace and expand their multi-purpose role by offering opportunities to play, connect, organize events, and support diverse community activities.
In many rural and suburban areas, these halls are the largest interior spaces publicly available. From sports competitions and physical education classes to community fairs and town meetings, these spaces show versatility, accommodating a wide range of activities on a daily basis. With a relatively simple architectural image, they fulfill a complex and noble social function as an active and representative public building.
Designing such venues involves negotiating between limited resources, functional requirements, and the need to create a representative image. The same duality is reflected in the urban aspect of such halls: while their volume and dimensions stand in contrast to the surrounding urban fabric. Their representational role requires careful urban integration, ensuring accessibility for the entire community.
The main feature of these venues is the indoor or semi-enclosed open space, sometimes complemented by a few rows of seating for spectators. This versatile area is dimensioned to accommodate various sports, but this flexibility is the feature that also allows it to easily accommodate community events. Surrounding this core are essential supporting facilities: showers, changing rooms, bathrooms, a small reception, and a communal area. These additional features ensure the hall is well-equipped to host diverse activities, providing a comprehensive and accessible venue for physical exercise and social gatherings, thereby serving as a multifunctional hub for local residents.
Beyond economics, these halls offer numerous intangible benefits. In a survey of the community impact of the Darebin International Sports Centre in Melbourne, Australia, residents invoke numerous benefits of having access to the location, including “increased accessibility, exposure, participation, and success, positive effect on their sport, sporting community and sporting experience.” Their relatively low building and upkeep costs make them a practical investment for communities with limited budgets, while the positive effect on the community’s well-being expands well beyond the initial investment.
Unlike larger, more spectacle-focused venues, small-scale sports halls are accessible and encourage regular physical activity among community members. They provide a space where people of all ages can engage in sports and exercise, promoting healthier lifestyles. The proximity and availability of these venues foster more active participation in physical activities by lowering the barrier to entry. Additionally, by providing a space for daily activities, the sports halls can become a platform for individuals to take on roles of responsibility and leadership within their community.
Small-scale sports halls also provide significant educational opportunities and foster youth engagement. These venues can host after-school programs, sports clinics, and educational workshops, promoting lifelong learning and skill development among young people. By offering a safe and supportive environment, sports halls encourage positive youth development and help prevent delinquency. They provide a space where young people can learn teamwork, leadership, and discipline through sports and recreational activities.
A certain duality is present also in the structural logic required to build such halls. On one hand, rectangular simple shapes can accommodate well the interior functionality, but on the other, the wide span of the main open space represents an opportunity to explore more unique building solutions. Metal trusses are one of the most used systems, but emerging technologies that reinvent vernacular techniques are starting to gain traction. Among them, bamboo structures are emerging as a sustainable substitute for wood, concrete, and steel structures for sports halls in Southeast Asia due to its local availability, durability, and flexibility.
To further strengthen the community’s connection to the space, local resources, and vernacular craftsmanship can be integrated into the design of these facilities, preserving the area’s cultural heritage. Through all of these combined elements, sports halls hold the ability to reflect and solidify a community’s identity and sense of place, anchoring a wide variety of social activities.
Another aspect worth considering is the role of small-scale sports halls in emergency situations. These versatile spaces can be quickly adapted to serve as shelters or distribution centers during natural disasters or other crises, providing a crucial resource for community resilience. Their design, which prioritizes open space and accessibility, makes them ideal for such temporary uses, reinforcing their importance beyond everyday activities.
For all of their combined benefits, small-scale multi-purpose sports halls are invaluable assets to communities, offering architectural simplicity, multi-functionality, health and wellness benefits, representation, and economic efficiency, which can become a challenging aspect of sports halls at a larger scale. As multifunctional hubs, they not only support daily activities but also strengthen community resilience and youth development, while reflecting local cultures and building technologies.
This article is part of the ArchDaily Topics: Multi-Purpose Spaces. Every month we explore a topic in-depth through articles, interviews, news, and architecture projects. We invite you to learn more about our ArchDaily Topics. And, as always, at ArchDaily we welcome the contributions of our readers; if you want to submit an article or project, contact us.
