Sport-canteen, Mortsel, 2019

For one baseball and three football clubs to share amenities efficiently side by side, IEA, at the request of the Mortsel city, designed a new sport venue in Gasthuishoeven. At groundfloor, 18 locker-rooms with showers were foreseen to be rented 7 days a week for various activities. For the clubs VC Mortsel and Cantincrode, there are two cafetarias at the first floor on the northern and southern side of the building, with big terraces and panorama views towards the different fields. A"bonsai" exterior tribune links the terraces. Through big windows on all facades, all trainings and matches on the three surrounding fields can be followed. Between the two canteens lays a multifunctional space with sanitary facilities offering numerous possibilities for simultaneous use by other sports clubs.
In terms of user comfort, maintenance and safety, it was decided to work out the ground floor as a robust, resilient plinth that can take impact. The outer skin is made of dark concrete panels with a three-dimensional hexagonal pattern. Above it, the structure is constituted entirely of Cross Laminated Timber. The counters and storage areas were also designed by IEA in CLT panels. Around the building, greenery, playful hills and wadis are used as much as possible, in order to integrate it into the surrounding sport themed landscape.

Photos: tvdv photography