fontys sports college, eindhoven by mecanoo architects
all images courtesy mecanoo architects


this week was the official start of construction of the fontys sports college, eindhoven
designed by mecanoo architects. the international sports institute in which the city of
eindhoven and fontys have collaborated will be completed in august 2012 in genneper parks,
one of the largest dutch athletics terrains.the 16,500 m2 sports complex will include
five gymnasiums, a 15-meter high climbing tower, classrooms and parking garage.
the sports school brings together three studies which are currently located in sittard
and tilburg.


the intelligence of this building is that most of the sports accommodations are located
on the first floor. this creates not a closed off sports box, but a completely transparent
ground floor which is in relationship with the environment. it is a social sports facility design
that contributes to the vibrancy of genneper parks. the compactness of the building’s layout
provides the advantage of room left for a stage to the building - in the form of a plinth -
inviting athletic and social encounters in the outdoors. a brick roof sculpture, in which many
of the sports amenities are located, is on the transparent ground floor.  the literal highpoint
of the building is the climbing wall which is situated at the corner of the building and acts like
a beacon. a huge glass window offers a distant view of the climbers. the sports complex’s
logistics are sophisticated and provide the maximum of opportunities for cross disciplinary
interaction between sports and education. it is possible to see into the sports halls from
the corridors, study areas, the restaurant and the entrance halls. simultaneously, sport
and education are logistically separated. the teaching functions can be sealed off so that
only the sports halls are accessible, for example at sporting events or sports association
gatherings. also in the evening, the building is lively, contributing to the security of genneper parks.





















programme:
sports complex of 16,500 m2 with 5 sports halls, 1 with 400 seats, a 15 meter high climbing wall,
a restaurant, a library and educational facilities as a multi media centre and a sports lab, and a parking
garage with 200 parking spaces
client: gemeente eindhoven, fontys hogescholen
design: 2009 -2010
realization: 2010 -2012