Tennis Club Old Boys
Personal Info
Name: Friederike Kluge
Nationality: german and swiss
Institution / Company: alma maki Architektur&Innenausbau
Name: Meik Rehrmann
Nationality: german and swiss
Institution / Company: alma maki Architektur&Innenausbau
-HONOURABLE MENTION of Non Architecture Award Competition | Category: Architecture
In the midst of the dense development of the city of Basel, the Schützenmatte sports area opens up the space and offers a pleasant spaciousness. Surrounded by three to five-storey residential buildings, several rows of chestnut and maple trees are particularly striking. They span the site and are visible from all around.
In order not to destroy this quality and to keep passers-by’s view of the area unobstructed, the tennis hall will be elevated and given a steel construction that makes the new building appear filigree and visually reduces the volume. The outdoor courts will be sunk so far into the ground that the necessary safety nets will not interfere with the view and at the same time passers-by will be able to participate in the tennis game.
The closed hall is raised to the height of the treetops. The ridge is located below the largest tree tops. Thanks to the low eaves of the hipped roof, the front of the hall is low, resulting in elegant proportions. The vertical side elevations are only about three metres high; in this way, the large roof surface recedes into the background.
The appreciation of the green urban space has given rise to a structural openness which gives the building elegance and transparency at the same time.
Project Type: sports center and tennis club
Jury Comments
– Francisco Leiva
Tennis club old boys is a very sophisticated response to a seemingly uninteresting program. A precise and delicate design that makes a voluminous sports equipment end up revaluing the place.
– Studio Muoto
The structural concept integrates well in its project site. The limited material impact made possible by the separation into two volumes, assures a profitable continuity of light at ground level. This porosity is visible on the floor plan, where the transparency of the space is felt. The surroundings therefore strongly participate to the definition of the inside.
