Mario Perossa: City Sports Hall in Novigrad

Within the framework of the Annual Exhibition of Realizations by Croatian Architects in 2010, which is set to take place at the end of the week in Split, the Croatian Architects’ Association (CAA) will confer their awards for the most successful Croatian architects’ realizations in 2010 both in Croatia and abroad.

The nominated realizations contending for the ‘Bernardo Bernardi’, ‘Drago Galić’ and ‘Viktor Kovačić’ Awards, respectively, were featured here, while all nominated projects will be presented within the next couple of weeks.

Today we present the “City Sports Hall” in Novigrad, whose author is Mario Perossa, architect from the STUDIO ARCH. PEROSSA d. o. o. along with Dalila Perossa (co-author) and Piero Perossa.

For more details on the project read further:

The Mediterranean standard of minuteness, proximity to the town and local community, respect towards and preservation of Novigrad’s silhouette resulted in a solution where this large-dimensioned facility was set up to seem as an in-the-air sports center levitating above ground. Namely, a City Sports Hall was built on the outskirts of Novigrad’s old-city center, organized at three levels: the ground floor, the first and second basements, respectively.

Facing west, right in front of the city sports hall, a wide opening leads to the square which further leads to the entrance hall through a canopied and windshield area. In addition to the hall, the facility’s ground floor consists of the following premises: two management offices, the reception and check-out counter, café, access to the fixed bleachers as well as galleries which offer a spectacular view overlooking the hall’s sports grounds. The following premises are situated within the first basement: a polyvalent sports hall, a wellness center, a gym, a sanitary block, the café’s warehouse, the resident repairman’s room, the equipment warehouse… along with galleries that provide access to both the fixed and revolving bleachers. As the facility was, on the south and east sides, respectively, burrowed in, from the polyvalent hall’s premises down to the level of the first basement, wellness center, gym and gallery which made it possible to exit to the facility’s courtyard, making it seem much more intimate after the burrowing-in. On the west side there’s a courtyard facing the square in front of the facility, made accessible by a ramp (for cars) and a staircase, while the staircase facing east connects it with the surrounding grounds and the hall’s archway at the ground level. The third exterior staircase connects the courtyard to the parking lot (which is situated by the road at the hall’s north side) and the roof where additional exterior sports grounds has been scheduled for developing. The courtyard allows access to the power plant, installation area and interstices, situated alongside the entire burrowed-in part of the facility. The second basement consists of the following premises: sports grounds with locker rooms and a sanitary block for athletes, coaches and judges, two squash halls, a club, a little hall, a first-aid area, a warehouse, as well as interstices and an installation area.

The floors are connected with staircases and an elevator. Four staircases lead from the ground floor to the first basement, while two from the first to the second basement. The staircase in the interstice additionally connects the first and second basement. Three exterior staircases and the ramp connect the hall’s courtyard, which is situated at the first basement level with surrounding grounds, a parking lot, an entry square and ground floor of the facility itself. The exterior sports grounds on the roof are accessible by elevator, an exterior staircase and a bridge, all facing northeast.

Disabled persons can freely move within the sports hall as all its floors are connected by elevators, and sanitary blocks especially designed and equipped for people with disabilities are situated in the first and second basement. The sports hall develops at three levels but due to its burrowed position in the ground it seems like a ground facility with exterior sports grounds situated on its roof.