Växjö Tennis Hall

The new Tennis Centre promotes the aesthetic values of wooden architecture by means of a design approach sensitive to the identity of place and responsive to environmental issues. The disposition of the spaces, their indoor connections and the connections with the immediate surroundings allow the structure to be fully functional both for primary tennis related activities and for other venues.The solution of the architectural competition program was a constant reference to transcend ordinary functional spaces into unique and emotional atmospheres. The proximity of the Lake and the Forest, were important design inputs, since they are vessels of emotional and perceptual values translated into the project.The artificial lake we propose acts like a detention pond: not only it solves the problem of the storm water management for the entire area, but it is also a way to propose familiar perceptive dynamics of mirroring and reflecting the landscape. Main pedestrian and bicycle wood- decking accesses have north-south directions so that the Forest has the function of a natural filter before the new spaces reveal in front of people’s eyes. The shared values of “Växjö, the Greenest City in Europe” are to be found not only in the sensitive response of the building to its natural landscape, or in the wooden oriented construction or, again, in the storm water management. We also paid attention to other sustainable choices like the retain and re-use of the storm water, the presence of integrated solar panels on the roof and the low energy consumption for heating. The building is designed to be heated up by a geothermal pump with a of a low-temperature under floor system, avoiding the use of intrusive service ducts; the courts use a natural ventilation system via opposite windows and skylights allowing air exchanges. Windows and skylights convey a large amount of natural light into the tennis volume via translucent polycarbonate panels providing excellent visual comfort for players – no shadows on the courts- , minimizing the use of artificial light.