The Sports Pavilion / Horomystudio

Curated by ArchDaily

Architects: Horomystudio
Area: 113 m²
Year: 2015
Manufacturers: MIRAGE, SPORTEC

Text description provided by the architects. The sports pavilion with an area of 113 m² was built in the suburbs of Saint Petersburg in 2015. The project is notable not only for its elegant architectural forms but also for unique building technologies used during its construction process.

The architects were faced with a task to design a complete sports facility within an existing suburban landscape and limited space. As a result, the pavilion became part of the landscape and the landscape became part of the pavilion: only 30 m² of the forest grounds were allowed for construction with all of the trees preserved and integrated into the interior of the building.

The desire to preserve the trees on the building site meant that no construction equipment could be installed during the construction stage, all excavation works were done by hand and the assembly works were done by special manipulators. The basement was constructed using a top-down technique: the ground was removed level by level and the building was erected downwards.

The basement containing locker rooms and weight benches, the ground floor with cardio-vascular machines and the first floor accommodating a yoga gym - constitute the necessary building area requirements.

The angle of the roof’s ridge brings a certain dynamic to the building’s architectural form, while the pavilion itself consists of two parts - the northern glazed part and the southern wooden part. Multi-level terraces frame the pavilion with canopies for comfortable outdoor activities in any weather. In the northern part, the terrace connects the sports pavilion with the existing bathing facility.

The pavilion is carefully integrated into the existing landscape. The first-floor balcony is made from glass to create less shade for the site, while the gym on the ground floor is equipped with glass sliding doors that erase the borders between the interior and exterior. The building’s supporting structures situated between trees are clad with lightboxes. The steps of the terrace have built-in decorative boxes for plants.

The three floors are connected by a spiral staircase with an intricate handrailing from copper plates. The rubber-coated polymer steps enable one to safely move between the floors.

The Sports Pavilion / Horomystudio - Stairs, Glass, Handrail — © Timur Turgunov

The interior design of the pavilion meets the highest design standards for sports facilities: the project includes professional flooring (SPORTEC style and MIRAGE hardwood sports flooring), and pays special attention to the natural ventilation system - special air gaps are left between the ground floor and the second floor for better air circulation.

Special design tricks, like bespoke mirror figures of famous boxers, can also be found in the interior.

Product Description. In this project we used German sliding doors system "Schueco" with high thermal insulation made of aluminum, series: ASS 70.HI.. This system made it possible to combine a sport hall with forest outside and increase the living space of the building. Due to extremely high strength of aluminum, we used the construction with narrow sash and large glazed surfaces that provide the maximum degree of transparency premises and penetration of daylight.