Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Nicolas Ziesel
g from red to green, by way of yellow, pink and orange. These colours cover the
faade in wide stripes. Inside, the same colours are systematically repeated, like
stepping in an oversized graffti.
A colour coding that helps you locate from the outside the areas created on the
inside. A means of spatial orientation for young children. An echo to street cul
ture codes for those who crawl on what is dubbed the coolest indoor climbing wal
l in France,or practice on the pop fencing rows below!
Spaces to be Filled
Over and above the pure functionality of the activities identified in the projec
t, the architects placed great hope on the imagination and inventiveness of the
occupants. That s why all corridors, access ramps and passageways, are wide and sp
acious, up to 3 times the regulation size. The ramp leading to the outdoor games
and training area has been designed along the same lines. Due to its exceptiona
l width, it provides an additional space and safely contributes to the strong phys
ical and visual continuity between the Leisure Centre s internal and external area
s. Indeed, it was designed with the aim of making it useable for activities rang
ing from just running up and down to becoming a small sized outdoor theatre . Wi
th no steps and surrounded by a 1.80m railing, it is a secure and private area w
here children can go alone in complete safety.
A Concrete Ribbon
The building is a vertical pilling of activity spaces (gymnasium, climbing walls
, leisure centre, outdoor area) wrapped in a ribbon of concrete providing unity
to the whole . Concrete was the natural choice as it highlights the building s scu
lptural appearance while satisfying the requirements of:
- Superimposing of large rooms atop the gymnasium with little load bearing possi
bilities
- Acoustic insulation between the two components of the project.
The project is broadly made up of prefabricated concrete load-bearing panels.The
moulded and tinted reinforced concrete contrasts with the coloured surfaces of
the laminated panels.
Coloured Faades
The main facade is made of tinted glass with a colour gradient from red to green
. The other 3 facades are more homogeneous, albeit coloured too.
A Sustainable Project
KOZ is part of the environmentally aware generation. The openings in the roofs and
the glass facades bring maximum natural lighting everywhere to limit electrical
consumption.
Concrete was chosen for the reasons mentioned above but the preference was for p
refabricated concrete, generating less waste and spill.
The tinted glass facades provide good protection against setting sun and long-la
sting colour. And of course all hot water is solar heated.