The college is built on the territory of the Genneper Park - the so-called "sports state" of Eindhoven, where the largest sports grounds of the city are concentrated. The grand opening of the building with a total area of 16,500 sq.m. took place on October 25 this year.
The complex includes classrooms and lecture halls, a library, five gyms, one of which can accommodate up to 400 spectators, a climbing wall, a restaurant and underground parking for 200 cars.
Designing the building in the heart of the sports park, the architects sought to emphasize its belonging to the theme of an active and healthy lifestyle. That is why the figures of athletes have become the main decoration of the facades made of dark bricks. Swimmer, football player, hockey player - these and other silhouettes are made using perforation and are effectively illuminated at night. The same figures, but already painted with white paint on the red walls, adorn the main foyer of the college.
The first floor of the building is fully glazed, panoramic glazing has a 15-meter climbing wall. As conceived by the architects, this will not only make all workouts open (and thus promote a sporty lifestyle), but also increase the attractiveness of the park in the evening - numerous college windows will illuminate even the darkest corners, making it more pleasant and safe to jog and train in the fresh air.
“We aimed to design the building as friendly as possible, refuting the traditional view of the sports complex as a dull blank box,” the architects say, and even one glance at the new college is enough to understand: Mecanoo has more than succeeded.
A. M.
