Gym extension - Primary school Křižná

Concept

 To find its place in the wider context we considered the placement, appearance and connections accordingly, looking for coherence with the environment. For the building to be lasting and accepted it needs to work well functionally, have a clear purpose within the school complex and a role that makes it fit in the town of Valašské Meziříčí.

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Landscape & connections

The first question to determine was the position of the new hall. The two logical solutions would be in the interior of the plot next to the existing gym, the canteen and the single-family houses, or somewhere in the area of the current athletic fields. Although the former seems to have some advantages like short connections and the undisturbed athletic circuit, it would block natural light from the canteen, and have a disturbing closeness to the gardens of the private homes. On the other hand, the position towards Krizna allows the new hall to have a proper aura and clear connections to the city for outside visitors.

This way we were able to keep the trees in the courtyard next to the canteen and connect the pavilions of the school with a new open veranda that creates a new relation between the outdoor and indoor spaces of the school. The placement of the new hall thus follows the existing pattern of the solitaire school buildings connected by narrow circulation. The position we recommend also means that the existing utility network is not affected by the new construction, contrary to the other examined position.

Internally this layout allows us to have a new schoolyard layout between the existing and new gym that is framed by the new open veranda along the canteen and the new hall on the northern edge. This way the whole school has a more friendly, accessible relationship with the schoolyard. The new geometry makes space for a 300 m running track under the remaining trees, with a 100 m sprint line and three different fields for ball games and outdoor exercising or playtime as well. The southern facade of the canteen could be modified with doors in the place of existing windows to open it more towards the schoolyard.

The narrow corridor towards the playground on the neighbouring plot is widened, emphasising the pedestrian and cycling connection with the city centre through the pedestrian bridge. The public entrance is located towards the passage where a small entry square is opening to the visitors towards Krizna with planted trees, urban furniture and bike stands.

Existing parking spaces and the connection to the kitchen are remaining between the hall and the canteen separated from the schoolyard by the veranda.

In this position it is possible to construct the new hall without disturbing the daily use of the existing buildings, and implement the schoolyard reconstruction in a second phase when the new building is accessible for physical education.

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Layout & operation

The entrance of the sports hall is from the veranda that connects it to the school and the passage. We enter the hall in the gallery of the stands, for direct connection for the visitors. Locker rooms, the teachers room and the coaching room are under the gallery with direct access towards the playing area.

Our decision to lower the playing area to the underground level was based on the desire to match the scale of the existing buildings, have a separated access for visitors and players. This way the ground floor is spacious and transparent, while the playing area has a proper background for all kinds of sporting events. 

The climbing wall is built on the western interior facade, with movable safety net towards the playing area and a bouldering indent next to the elevator. The playing area can be divided into three parts with mobile curtains that have a solid lower third and a transparent net on the top, matching the vertical structure of the interior inside the gym. 

The teachers room and the coaching room both have openings towards the playing area, with indents in the wall that serve as benches for the PE classes and protection of the windows. Storage spaces are directly accessible from the hall.

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Structure

The underground structure is a monolithic concrete structure that serves as the base for the wooden truss structure of the hall. The wood beams and columns create a warm, exciting interior structure from a renewable material, allowing flexible mechanical installation. The outer finish of the building is a perforated sinus profile sheet that has a soft yet uniform, curtain like appearance. It acts as shading in front of the curtain wall towards the south facade, and the non-perforated version is holding the roof of the veranda as a permanent cast. The structure of the veranda is made from lightweight steel that is weather resistant and allows for an open inbetween space along the buildings.

The appearance of the building is modest, while it connects the hall with the close and wider context as well. Two of the most valuable architectural heritage of the city are the two historical churches on both sides of the river - one for each historic part of the city. The simple white plaster and wooden shingles result in a timeless aesthetic that the new hall references as well. Although the scale and context of the two are far from each other, the combination of the cloth-like white metal and structured wooden trusses revive a similar materiality, while the simple mass of the building continues the existing structure of the surrounding urban tissue. The facades differ much like a tablecloth that has been spread unevenly, so they reflect different connections to the outdoors. The northern facade is open, while the south is shaded by the veranda. To the east a narrow opening provides visual interactions for arriving visitors while the western facade is solid between the climbing wall and the parking.