Sportium – Nieuw Vennep is a new town just a few miles from Amsterdam close to Schiphol airport.
John’s design for a community indoor and outdoor pool and sports facility for public and school’s use, won the Design Competition for this project on a semi-industrial site to the north of the town. The site was effectively contextless, though the design had to respond to proposed future neighbouring flats and a new town square in front of the sports building that were envisaged to follow.
The building was designed as a central linear spine of accommodation including all the main sporting activity spaces – sub-dividable sports hall, two main pool halls and an outdoor 25m pool with a strip of changing rooms along the front. The facilities are not only for the public but had to specifically work for an adjacent school which became one of the main design drivers.
Facing the future public town square is the café and separate entrance to the outdoor pools contained in a dynamic sloping glazed façade.
Construction of the building was fascinating – to be able to watch the Dutch construction team build swimming pools directly into the water table. The ground floor of the building is around 5m below sea level as it is. As a finished sports facility the building is heavily used and much loved, all year round.
Copyright 2020