Optimum space usage in the city centre

In the middle of Malmö, Arkitektgruppen I Malmö AB has created an extraordinary sports centre. The project was challenging on two levels: the integration of a multifunctional building in the city’s most central location and the creative embedding of the building into the surroundings. Today, the “Hästhagens Sporthall” is a social meeting place for the city’s inhabitants and blends perfectly with the neighbourhood with its natural-looking façade made of water-struck bricks.

A social meeting place

The lack of space in cities demands creative architectural solutions. The architect group Malmö AB has designed two sports halls into a site that would normally hardly suffice for one such facility. Due to a unique concept, it was possible to build one hall on top of the other. This not only fulfilled the long-held wish for a new sports facility for the two adjacent schools, but it also created a recreational centre and a meeting place for city residents.

A sports centre as a motivator to get active

Large windows facing a main street connect indoor and outdoor activities. Around 1,800 pupils of different age groups use the sports centre during the day. Outside of school hours, it is open to the public and is used for various recreational sports activities and events.
There is also a café and a park on the grounds. The outdoor area includes a table tennis and a basketball court as well as a running track. This motivates citizens to get active and serves as a meeting place for social activities. The green roof creates additional green space in the city centre.

The “Hästhagens Sporthall” is a social meeting place for the city’s inhabitants and blends perfectly with the neighbourhood with its natural-looking façade made of water-struck bricks.

Fluid transitions with the surroundings

To help the sport centre fit into the cityscape and the adjacent older buildings, its walls were made of red-brown water-struck bricks W 409 Valmue from the Danish brick plant in Petersminde. To soften the visual impact of this colossus and to give a distinctive character, narrow and wide windows were alternately installed on the street-side façade breaking up a special brick pattern.

Diagonally-arranged, protruding bricks and various grouting variants create a distinctive and attractive pattern, reminiscent of a kilim carpet and creating various shadow effects. During the construction process, detailed drawings and large-scale physical tests were carried out on the façade wall in close cooperation with bricklayers and Arkitektgruppen I Malmö AB in order to achieve the desired elaborately patterned façade.

A sustainable concept

In addition to the wide range of aesthetic possibilities, sustainability along the value-added chain played a major role in the choice of building materials. The goal was not only to plan and build energy-efficiently, but to ensure the longevity of the buildings. With the implementation of “Hästhagens Sporthall” project, the architects at Malmö AB have impressively met this objective.