ArchShowcase 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. Multisports complex in Antony, France by archi5prod associated with TecnovaSeptember 18th, 2012 by Sumit Singhal
Article source: archi5prod associated with Tecnova The project’s design and planning focus on a thorough understanding of the local context. The building responds to existing scales. Its location and architecture denote the space´s public nature and inject new life into the site. By taking surrounding public spaces into consideration when designing the project, we reinforced the notion that this building is a public facility, a landmark within the surrounding disorder. So as to allude to a mind’s eye view we asked ourselves how we could draw attention to the building without stirring up too much controversy.
What we sought to spark off was people’s curiosity and a thirst for mystery: a child’s fascination to know what is inside a big box. This is what led us to design this huge, dark monolith, which is a break from local architecture, with rows of pink houses or over complex public buildings. A mysterious big black box planted in an urban landscape. Curiosity is satisfied once the way to go in is found, on a raised corner where the entrance is located. We wanted the passer-by to see something different to what the residents see. We achieved this by an interplay between different elements, the roof garden offering an alternative landscape – a hanging square. On the inside, the surfaces adapt and follow the height of the different sports areas. This creates a dynamic between the different components of the project. The monolith is deconstructed by the variety of stones used to clad the façade and the way these are pieced together, like a construction set. The building changes depending on the angle from which you look at it, the time of day, the light or the season. This single structure houses the main functions of the program: fencing/table tennis hall, dance hall, combat areas and other activities. The building’s compact nature is its greatest environmental asset. Natural light floods in, in spite of the solid façades. Vertical window panels allow light to be controlled and adapted to the needs of the sport being practiced. We designed this facility to be simple, powerful and almost timeless. Archi5 presentation Archi5 was founded in 2003, the fruit of its founders’ common agency experience and the approach they share to architecture. A context-based approach to projects is key : the site, the programme, the social and cultural challenges are all examined, analyzed and compared. These data are then transformed into questions. The projects offer a dynamic and comprehensive response to those issues to the highest standard that has come to be Archi5’s trademark. This approach is visible, legible in every building. It confers meaning and form and is perceptible in the projects’ applications, spaces and environmental impact. It is the essence of our confidence in architecture, its capacity to enhance humankinds’ environment. The agency uses its acumen and know-how to instill this ethos throughout and to guarantee its continuity. Archi5 has a staff of 35 working out of Paris and Warsaw. Establishing strategic links with the best technical partners and expert consultants the agency further develops its skills. The success Archi5 has achieved in public contract tenders and the private sector has allowed the agency to expand its horizons beyond Europe. Achi5 currently has big urban development projects in train in Argentina and Brazil and a Museum in Rabat. This publication is a selection of projects spanning a decade of experience and production. Behind the images we propose an interpretation of a form of architecture that is sensitive to the challenges it deals with, mindful of those who will live with and in it, ambitious in its convictions. Category: Sports Complex |