Isla Cristina Sports Pavilion

PROJECT: Isla Cristina Municipal Indoor Sports Pavilion

The Isla Cristina sports hall consists primarily of a large central volume housing the court and stands, and a lower section that wraps around it to the west and south. This second section contains a multipurpose room, individual and team changing rooms, restrooms, facilities, and access and circulation areas. A large, double-height porticoed area encloses the site to the south.

On the east side, there is an access gallery to the telescopic stands on the north side. An outdoor court within the complex is designated for basketball. The building is designed as a large, completely enclosed box, except for its north side.

The imposing volume combines the white of the upper section with the exposed red brick of the lower section. This lower section presents a very closed facade, except on its south-facing side, where the solid mass transforms into an open portico or portico beneath which the entrances are located. This portico extends eastward, sheltering the large access and evacuation ramp and enclosing the space designated for the outdoor basketball court.

The east façade, which opens onto the external basketball court, consists of a gallery attached to the large central box and connects the main lobby for spectators and the fixed seating area with the north gallery providing access to the retractable stands. This gallery, which runs above the storage areas of the central shell and opens onto it, is designed as a strong formal element, contrasting with the overall minimalism of the complex.

Conceived as a multi-purpose facility, the sports pavilion combines different spaces for clearly distinct sporting uses. To this end, three areas for strictly sporting use were designed: two interior and one exterior, all on the ground floor.