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Sumit Singhal
Sumit Singhal loves modern architecture. He comes from a family of builders who have built more than 20 projects in the last ten years near Delhi in India. He has recently started writing about the architectural projects that catch his imagination.

TNW: Tulip by NL Architect

June 8th, 2011 by Sumit Singhal

Article source: NL Architect

Turnaccommodatie Nieuw Welgelegen is a sports hall dedicated to gymnastics; it will not be used for any other sports. Four individual gymnastics clubs combine efforts in this new facility. TNW is the 3^rd and probably last building in the redevelopment of a sports complex in the center of Utrecht. Soccer ‘temple’ Zwaluwen Utrecht 1911 was already completed in 2006 and a supersized ‘multifunctional accommodation’, a school combined with sports facilities, will open soon.

TNW Gym Hall

Architects: NL Architect
Project: TNW: Tulip
Competition: 1st Prize
Client: Dienst Maatschappelijke Ontwikkeling Gemeente Utrecht
Team: Bobby de Graaf, Sarah Möller, Michael Schoner, Rebecca Eng, Joanna Janota, Jeong Jun Song
Jury: Margitt Meininger, Remon van Dijk, Erik Rossen, Anja Dirks, Annalies van Zoeren
Competitors: Architectuurbureau Sluijmer en van Leeuwen, NEXT Architects / Mulders vandenBerk Architecten, noordwestzes architecten en ontwerpers, VenhoevenCS GROUP A

Gym Hall

The brief for the TNW excluded the possibility of creating windows in the hall. This turns out to be the main dilemma for this type of facility: in order to be ‘livable’, daylight is required, but for serious training and competitions windows will cause undesired effects: too much contrast and too much distraction. Windows at eye level are not a good idea.

Gym Hall

Also the vulnerability that comes with glass is an issue. Especially in this particular area: not long ago the streets around here used to be paved with shattered glass from cars that were broken in to.

TNW Gym Hall

But the most surprising problem of windows is their transparency: the suspicion is that perverts might try to get a glimpse of the elastic girls inside…
As a consequence many gymnastics halls tend to be gloomy.

Drawings 1

The idea of Tulip is to ‘peel off’ the skin at the top to bring daylight into the interior. By partly bending out the facade a gap comes into being between the roof edge and the walls: indirect light will reflect into the hall. The carefully deformed envelop creates a mildly glowing gradient that lights up towards the top.

Drawings 2

A pleasant side effect of bending out the facade is that the building becomes sculptural: an optimistic gesture comes into being that in a way is reminiscent of the nearby ‘winged’ soccer club… a happy family.

Drawings 3

Drawings 4

Drawings 6

Drawings 7

Drawings 10

: TNW Gym Hall

: Gym Hall

: Gym Hall

: TNW Gym Hall

: Doorsnedefragment A

: Doorsnedefragment B

: Drawings 1

: Drawings 2

: Drawings 3

: Drawings 4

: Drawings 5

: Drawings 6

: Drawings 7

: Drawings 8

: Drawings 9

: Drawings 10

: Drawings 11

: Drawings 12

: East Elevation

: First Floor Plan

: Fragment

: Ground Floor

: North Elevation

: Section A

: Section B

: South Elevation

: Stuation

: Diagram

: West Elevation

Contact NL Architect

Category: Sports Hall

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