Today’s indoor tennis venue should provide light, openness and atmosphere. The proposed tennis centre consists of two parts: a sunken ‘nest’ of concrete walls, vertical or slightly angled, sheathing the court layout and a light wooden shell above.
Embedded into the landscape, the tennis venue becomes part of it, blurring the boundaries between building and nature. Slightly depressed within the enclosing environment reduces the surface area. The entire building is organised as a landscape within itself - everything is easily visible and open. A translucent membrane covers the main roof with north-oriented openings to provide a maximum amount of daylight and consistent light levels throughout. At night and during long winters the building appears as a large, warm lantern. Shells are highly efficient structural forms using a minimum amount of material, reducing both structure and cladding.
The proposed reciprocal system consists of short, CNC-produced elements that can be easily mounted and are clad by a highly efficient cladding material.
It includes three game courts, practice facility, gymnasium, instruction rooms, and support services. All technical spaces are positioned at the edges of the courts and covered by grass roofs as a continuation of the landscape.
