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Faced with a growing demand for sport facilities from users, and despite a genuine lack of available surfaces, Paris is attempting to optimise existing buildings. Therefore the municipality called on SMC2, a renowned specialist in the construction of sport buildings.
The company should work on the renovation and covering of a sport-training-ground in La Courneuve, in the suburbs of Paris. A real open air gymnasium has been designed and implemented, based on an innovative construction principle: a cover with a translucent textile membrane, which fits onto a wood and steel frame.
This new concept, called PREOsport, offers a solution, which is being sought more and more by communities. By covering an existing pitch, facilities could be given a second life and they become an open air gymnasium. Unlike a traditional gymnasium, reserved for sports associations, the new one is accessible to all, associations and residents in the area. This optimises the use of the place. Along the same lines, the pleasure of playing in a comfortable place is essential. The translucence of the membrane ensures consistent natural light, and the curved shapes of the cover provide greater acoustic comfort than traditional buildings because of limited echoes.
Built on a surface area of 1500 square meter, La Courneuve’s PREOsport houses a space intended for practicing the majority of ball games and athletics activities. Sheltered from the weather, this place could be used year round. When it was designed, it had to be adapted to the specifics of the place, its surface area and the different kinds of use for the ground, but also to integrate the structure in harmony with the urban environment and in line with the many architectural renovations carried out in this area.
SMC2 carried out a life cycle analysis (LCA) for its PREOsport system in order to reduce its environmental impact by specifically using materials with a low carbon footprint, for example recyclable steel, wood from sustainably managed forests or 100 percent recyclable textile membrane.
As the company tells, this kind of building meets all points of the recommendations made by the German Institute of Sports Science in its report “10 arguments for the development of sports facilities”. (Stadiaworld, 05.10.2012)
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