An open-air sports hall on the grounds of the Ludwig-Uhland-Schule

In Gärtringen, Germany, SMC2 built an 11,900 sq ft sports canopy on the grounds of the Ludwig-Uhland-Schule, a local school. The hall and the 20 by 40 metre multi-sport court it shelters were delivered under the same contract, sized to full handball dimensions and usable all year round, whatever the weather.

The structure spans 157 by 75 feet, under a gable roof rising to 27 feet. The timber structure is a post-and-beam frame braced with galvanized steel. The profiled steel roof is sized to carry a rooftop solar array.

No walls, no locked doors, but a complete sports space. SMC2 enclosed the court with a dasher board system with integrated goals and ball-stop netting rising to roof level, and laid an EPDM surface with basketball and handball markings. Side-mounted basketball hoops and a set of ring swings suspended from the frame complete the fit-out — a first for an open-air hall in Germany. LED lighting integrated into the structure allows play long after the school day ends.

With this project, SMC2 shows how a schoolyard can be given a sports facility in its own right: for students during the day, for clubs and residents the rest of the time.