sb 2/2021 (english)

sb www.iaks.sport

International magazine for sports, leisure and recreational facilities

55th year ISSN (Print): 0036-102X ISSN (Internet): ISSN 2198-4271

2/2021

STADIA AND SPORTS GROUNDS

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www.fsb-cologne.com

Photo Stadion Beijing: © Arup, Chris Dite

SAVE THE DATE!

INTERNATIONAL TRADE FAIR FOR PUBLIC SPACE, SPORTS AND LEISURE FACILITIES

COLOGNE, 26-29.10.2021

Koelnmesse GmbH Messeplatz 1 50679 Köln, Germany Tel. +49 221 821-2837 fsb@koelnmesse.de www.fsb-cologne.com B

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Editorial DEAR IAKS MEMBERS AND FRIENDS OF SB, It was about a year ago that spectators were last allowed to attend sports events in many countries worldwide. The global COVID-19 pandemic forced the postponement of such world events as the Tokyo Olympic Games and the UEFA EURO, both planned for 2020.

Most sports have suffered economically, mainly due to the lack of spectators. But nonetheless, with a positive note in this unexpected situation, the sports industry – like many other industries – has shown its ability to serve fans with most of its professional competitions, even with empty stadia and only with TV broadcasts. Some stadia and arenas, e.g. in Amsterdam (Netherlands) and Barcelona (Spain), have recently staged events with 5,000 spectators – monitored by health authorities and researchers in order to gain reli­ able data for the reopening process.

I appreciate the engagement of those owners and operators who have continued to develop their plans for the renovation and improvement of their sport facilities or the construction of new ones.

However, some critical reflection on design is recommended. Like the elite sports competitions, it is time for those responsible for architecture and engineering to adapt. They are called upon to make improvements in design, applying the lessons learned during the current emergency situation.

Such is the case of Club Universidad Católica in Chile. On one hand, even in difficult times, the club took further the development of this wonderful and ambitious project of modernising the San Carlos de Apoquindo Stadium. On the other hand, the club has committed itself to sustainability and carbon footprint reduction as some of the interesting changes to be adopted in stadia design going forward.

In this issue of “sb” we can find interesting projects such as Lausanne’s stadium in Switzerland, where a meticulously designed structure imposes precise limits on the box contain-

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ing the delicate bowl and transforms the corners into a main feature of the landscaping.

At the Queensland Country Bank Stadium in Australia, we can witness the benefits that a venue can bring to its city when government and private institutions join forces. In Denmark, the outdoor sports facility in Næstved is a good example of how athletics stadiums can position themselves in future, as many of them are only attended by a narrowly defined group of users.

The small venue designed for the Fistball Training Facility at Bozen, Italy, is a clear reminder of the importance of treating minority sports facilities with care. In Hungary, the Szent Gellért Fórum is the country’s first sports complex run by the Catholic church. The primary aim of the parish is to provide sport, community and cultural events to its citizens.

In Finland, the case of modernising Helsinki Olympic Stadium shows us how a stadium can be subtly and carefully revitalised while preserving its heritage and national values.

With the insertion of the “Stadion Vogesen” in a schoolyard in Basle, Switzerland, we can appreciate the intelligent functional solution to the provision of ventilation and light, with an interesting architectural feature involving the integration of seating under narrow roofs.

In France, the tiny Archery House near ­ Paris reminds us of the poetry we should always ­ have present in our buildings, and finally the Al Janoub Stadium in Qatar tells us about poetry in its aspirations, without conflicting with having the most advanced technologies due to the country’s harsh climatic conditions.

I hope that these interesting works will inspire us all and also encourage us to take a little time to consider the next projects to come.

César Azcárate Sports & Events Architecture Director, IDOM

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STADIA AND SPORTS GROUNDS NEWS

PROJECTS

IAKS Congress and FSB 2021..............................................................4 IAKS Nordic: General Assembly and elections....................5 New to the IAKS Network....................................................................6 Modernization of the San Carlos Apoquindo Stadium in Santiago...................... 10 City SC Stadium in St. Louis............................................................. 12 Multifunctional stadium in Helmond....................................... 14

Szent Gellért Forúm Football Stadium in Szeged..........34 Vision Architectural Studio

Schoolyard redevelopment in Basle..........................................36 MET Architects

Sports field building for fistball club in Bolzano............40 Busselli Scherer Architekten

Archery house in Fontenay-aux-Roses....................................42 Boman

PROJECTS

Ball-and-exercise outdoor sports facility in Næstved..................................................................................................... 44 CASA Arkitekter

Queensland Country Bank Stadium in Townsville....... 16 COX architecture and Counterpoint Architecture

WHITEPAPER

Football Stadium in Lausanne........................................................22 :mlzd and Sollberger Bögli Architekten

Climate-friendly and sustainable artificial turf....................................................................46

Modernisation of the Helsinki Olympic Stadium..........26

Rolf Haas

K2S Architects and Architects NRT

Al Janoub Stadium in Al Wakrah..................................................30

An ecological comparison of artificial and natural turf....................................................................50

Zaha Hadid Architects

René Itten und Matthias Stucki

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Title: Photo:

Queensland Country Bank Stadium in Townsville Andrew Rankin

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ADVERTORIALS

PROFESSIONALS & PROFILES

Ecocept ® – granulate material made from recycled artificial turf............................................................................52

New multi-sports hall in Finsing................................................... 57 Fast team, fast track................................................................................ 57

H.-J. Weitzel

New “Piste Magique“ for track and field athletes.......54

Renovating of Karl School in Bonn.............................................58 Werner-Rittberger-Arena in Krefeld........................................58

Conica

Innovation in natural infills for artificial turf fields..........................................................................56 Amorim Sports

Urban Slacklining...................................................................................... 59 GEZOLAN AG opens new warehouse....................................... 59 Successful opening of the new season...................................60 Powerful floodlighting system......................................................60 Cooperation agreement...................................................................... 61 “Hilo“ seating series............................................................................... 61 How Schmitz stays ahead..................................................................62 Sports and leisure park Dortmund.............................................62 Company index from A to Z............................................................63 Imprint................................................................................................................ 72

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NEWS

IAKS CONGRESS AND FSB 2021, 26-29 OCTOBER DEVELOPING HEALTHY AND SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES

In less than seven months’ time it’s “Curtain up!” for the 27th IAKS Congress – the foremost international forum for the design, construction, financing and management of sports and leisure facilities. The focus will be on how to support communities in developing conditions for their citizens for a healthy and sustainable lifestyle. The IAKS Congress, together with the trade fair duo of FSB and aquanale, will probably be one of the first events where representatives of the industry can meet in person.

The people in charge of the events from Koelnmesse, IAKS and bsw (German Federal Association for Swimming Pools and Wellness) are more than ever dedicated to host an exciting specialist event programme. They plan everything to be held as live event, while various presentation formats to suit the international travel situation are considered. FSB Director at Koelnmesse Bettina Frias: “For example, we’re planning events that will not only take place in the exhibition halls and the congress area with a trade audience but also simultaneously on our digital platform. This is the only way we can meet the needs and demands placed on us as event organisers and achieve the necessary and desirable reach that these future-oriented topics require.”

Talking about the preparations, Bettina Frias, who is also acting as Director for both FSB (International Trade Fair for Public Space, Sports and Leisure Facilities) and aquanale (International Trade Fair for Sauna, Pool, Ambience) continues: “There are signs of very good demand for the trade fair duo of FSB and aquanale. By the end of the early-bird phase, more than 65 per cent of market-relevant companies had already confirmed their participation in both FSB and aquanale. Both events are international leaders in their segments and provide the stimulus so urgently needed by all industries in the post-coronavirus era in terms of trends, networking and the initiation of new business relationships.”

27th IAKS Congress: Hub for inspiration and innovation Climate challenges and ecological sustainability is at the core of the congress opening with an overview of international goals such as The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the IOC’s sustainability achievements and future goals, sustainability goals for 4

Olympic Games host cities, and TAFISA’s “Global Active City” programme.

The afternoon will see practical insights: How to reduce embodied carbon by environmentally sustainable design? How can design respond to extreme weathers caused by climate change? Experts will present strategies and models such as “NEOM: A network of top-tier community sports zones in urban, beach and mountain locations” and “Zeroing in on Net Zero – approaches to Net Zero Energy Arena complexes”. Innovations to foster ecological sustainability are shown by examples from the circular economy.

On Wednesday, the morning session starts with social sustainability as a key factor for recreation facilities for All. How to advocate, promote and design for greater accessibility and inclusivity for arenas, in particular ice sports facilities? Operators and foundation representatives will outline the 24/7 model, and inclusive programming and design as key success factor for recreation facilities.

The second session of the day will focus on innovative models to foster new thinking in public recreation facilities. Look forward to first-hand insights and experiences related to “The public realm and the democratization of play”, “Institutional models for supporting innovative culture and sports facilities”, “Innovative concepts for sports halls” and “Public participation: involving the community’s and citizens’ needs”.

“Economic challenges and operational improvements; digitalization and future trends” is the promising title for the first session of the third congress day. Experts will present insights into integral planning and project sb 2/2021

Photos: IAKS – Hieronymus Casper Photos: IAKS - Hieronymus Casper

management, as well as case studies on how to shape more informed, connected and active communities.

“The impact of Covid-19 on design and operations” will hopefully be a look back on a situation that we will have overcome by that time, but nevertheless provide great learnings for the architecture of the future. New success models for stadiums and arenas will be the main topic in the afternoon, looking at the rapid development of Esports and Esports arenas.

The first session on Friday showcases the future of synthetic turf and brings together a panel of experts informing about the circular economy, opportunities of chemical recycling, and a look at the current status of the ECHA process.

Finally, the congress will offer a session on how to enhance the attractiveness of ice rinks and arenas. This session will teach approaches to leisure ice for greater participation and winter engagement, and will provide useful information for any facility from smaller ice sport ­venues to multi-functional ice arenas.

Look forward to exciting panel discussions, lectures and workshops. Experience at first hand the trends dominating the scene in architecture and management – now and in the future!

www.iaks.sport/congress

IAKS NORDIC: GENERAL ASSEMBLY AND ELECTIONS ON MARCH 18, 2021 THE ORDINARY GENERAL ASSEMBLY WAS HELD Photo: André Flatner, Norway

On March 18, IAKS Nordic held virtually this year’s Ordinary General Assembly. André Flatner from Norway was elected President. André is Agency Manager for Active Lives at the City of Fredrikstad. He is joined by Marina Högland from Sweden as new Vice President. Former President Esben Danielsen from Denmark continues on the board as Treasurer.

They are supported by ordinary board members Nils-Olof Zethrin, Flemming Overgaard, Jarkko Rantamäki, Bjørn Aas, Daniel Glimvert and Ola Mattson. Substitute members are Lisa Mari Watson and Emma Lundkvist.

The IAKS Nordic board thanked former board members Monika Ölund and Holger Kortbek for their contribution.

Despite the difficult situation due to the Covid-19 pandemic, IAKS Nordic has hosted more activities in the past year than ever. Digital meeting options made it possible to offer a total of nine virtual board meetings and seven sb 2/2021

webinars (from January 2020 to January 2021). IAKS Nordic is glad to have a very high participation rate and activity level for all meetings and webinars.

The board hopes to be able to enlarge the network again in 2021. By March 2021, IAKS Nordic counts 39 members.

The goal is to be more active in Finland, and make IAKS Nordic known in Iceland and be able to have active local members there as well.

www.nordic.iaks.sport 5

NEWS

NEW TO THE IAKS NETWORK

FUNDACIÓN ESTADIO VITAL FUNDAZIOA, VITORIA-GASTEIZ (SPAIN)

POSEIDON, PARIS (FRANCE)

Founded in 1959, the Fundación Estadio Vital Fundazioa is a non-profit organization dedicated to the development of the culture of sport and the promotion of the regular practice of physical activity among its members and the society in general. Popularly known as the ‘Estadio’, the foundation is located in the Basque Country. Currently, its almost 20.000 members visit and enjoy sports, socio-cultural and recreational facilities, services and activities.

Visits are close to one million users per year. In 2019, the foundation celebrated its 60th anniversary.

Poséidon, a business unit of the Maytronics Group, is the world leader in detection systems for the detection of drowning accidents and has over 300 installations worldwide.

www.fundacionestadio.com

www.poseidon-tech.com

SWIM IRELAND, DUBLIN (IRELAND)

RECREA, VALENCE (FRANCE)

Swim Ireland is the National Governing Body for swimming, water polo, diving and synchronised swimming across the 32 counties of the island of Ireland, recognised as such by the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport through Sport Ireland and Sport Northern Ireland.

Swim Ireland is recognised at world level by FINA, and at European level by LEN.

The RECREA group is the leading operator of sports and aquatic facilities in France with more than 100 facilities including the future 2024 Olympic aquatic center. Founded in 1989, RECREA has over 1,030 employees who want to provide a full experience to the guests. More than aquatic centers, the RECREA facilities are living places of discovery and well-being: spa, restaurant, balneotherapy, bowling, skating rink - and can thus meet the citizen‘s needs from sport for training and health to family leisure.

Swim Ireland has a comprehensive wealth of knowledge and experience in all aquatics areas from learning to swim and participation through to elite level competition.

www.swimireland.ie 6

Poséidon is the only supplier to offer a system that combines underwater and overhead cameras to optimally meet the requirements of the SN EN ISO 20380 standard.

www.recrea.fr sb 2/2021

FISU, LAUSANNE (SWITZERLAND)

BLOACS, COLOGNE (GERMANY)

Since its founding in 1949, the International University Sports Federation (FISU) is the key driver to expand the role and reach of university sport around the world. FISU believes that sports values and sports practice work in perfect synchronicity within one’s university studies. FISU is responsible for the organization and governance of worldwide sports competitions for university student-athletes, the promotion of physical activity and well-being for the campus communities, as the world governing body of national university sports organizations and currently has 176 member associations (National University Sport Federations) from five continents. www.fisu.net

BLOACS domiciled in Cologne is a young and innovative provider of unique slackline systems for public spaces.

With its products, the company has been bringing the joy of outdoor exercise to urban environments since 2016.

BLOACS slackline systems are easy to install and maintain, safe to use and permanently accessible to all.

SLCV, KERALA (INDIA)

SILENCE LIGHTS., GROSS-UMSTADT (GERMANY)

Sanjeevini Life Care Village (SLCV) is a unique sports performance evaluation and enhancement center, with exclusive facilities for athletes‘ post-injury rehabilitation. Situated in Kerala, India, the facilities include sports halls for any indoor game, a football pitch and cricket nets – all in compliance with international standards. Full-size motion analysis center, high-performance center and therapeutic facilities such as cryotherapy chambers, hydrotherapy with underwater treadmill and bike, advanced physioand neurotherapy facilities provide athletics training and sports health care information and guidance to clinicians involved in a variety of allied health professions. Elite athletes endeavor to train and compete even when ill or injured. www.sanjeeviniwellness.com

Since 2004, silence lights. has been a source of bright light – in Gross-Umstadt and Hesse and throughout Germany.

The medium-sized company has the right luminaires for numerous applications in its portfolio and also develops customised solutions if required. Its suppliers come from within the region, some even from the immediate vicinity. silence lights. also attaches great importance to environmental protection and environmental sustainability.

Recently, the manufacturer and developer of LED lighting technology set a world record for the brightest LED floodlight.

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www.bloacs.de

www.silence-lights.de 7

NEWS

NEW TO THE IAKS NETWORK

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ANJA MATHIS, DUSSELDORF (GERMANY)

YOSHIDA SHOZO, KANAGAWA (JAPAN)

Anja Mathis has been in charge of the Stiftung Eis­sporthalle Düsseldorf-Benrath since 2020 and is the opera­tor’s coordinator for the construction of the new ice rink in Benrath.

Previously, Anja was head of the events and communication department at Benrath Palace, where she initiated the Festival of Lights and the Christmas market, among other things. Through her MBA in Communication & Leadership at Berlin’s Quadriga University, the art historian’s expertise lies in communication, digital media, new work and AI.

Yoshida Shozo acts as Representative Director at the Social Environment Institute (SEI Co., Ltd.) in Kanagawa.

The institute has developed a human resources development method called “Spantinius Active Training” which is based on successful sports cases. It has been improved through many years of corporate training. Yoshida holds workshops on sustainable development goals.

DANIEL SCHMIDT, FRANKFURT (GERMANY)

HERMANN BINDER, BAD SCHALLERBACH (AUSTRIA)

Daniel R. Schmidt, born in 1982, is studying Sports Business Management at the IST University of Applied Sciences in Düsseldorf. In his studies so far, he has specialised in events and sports event management. He himself has over ten years of experience in various positions in sports and is also active as a host and speaker at sports events. He is thus one of the hosts for the German national volleyball teams.

Hermann Binder is the owner of the outfitter Binder Sportgeräte, which has been on the Austrian market since 2005.

For the learned sports teacher, personal advice, high product quality and individual rights are all important.

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OLIVIA BOLIN, COLOGNE (GERMANY)

FRANK SPICKMANN, NORDHORN (GERMANY)

Olivia Bolin is a student of sports and exercise instruction in recreational and mass sports at the German Sports University of Cologne. Her focus is on project and event management as well as leisure research and development. Her interest in the field of municipal sports development planning has encouraged her not to view the subject exclusively as a sports scientist, which is why she is planning to study for a technical degree in civil engineering after graduation.

Frank Spickmann holds a degree in sports science with a focus on sports management and economics. After stints at T-Mobile International and in sports marketing at IMG (FC Cologne football club), he joined KreisSportBund (district sports federation) Grafschaft Bentheim in 2012 as managing director and member of the executive board.

WOLFGANG SCHABERT, STUTTGART (GERMANY)

BÜRGERFORUM HALLENBAD E.V. RHEINAU-HONAU (GERMANY)

As a ‘Diplom Sportwissenschaftler’, Wolfgang Schabert is a graduate sports scientist and has been the managing director of Institut für Kooperative Planung und Sportentwicklung (ikps) [Institute for Cooperative Planning and Sports Development] in Stuttgart since 2011. The work of ikps and Schabert focuses on the social scientific monitoring of and support for processes of changes in sports policy and particularly in municipal sports development planning. Across Germany, ikps has been advising munici­ palities, clubs and associations for many years, among other things on issues of demand and the realignment of sports facilities.

The non-profit association Bürgerforum Hallenbad e.V. Rheinau-Honau has been in operation for 10 years and organises and runs a small indoor swimming pool in Baden-Württemberg. Through the tireless efforts of its members, new ideas and many enthusiastic helpers, it has breathed new life into this somewhat outdated pool. Furthermore, contrary to the general trend towards closing indoor swimming pools, the association has managed to modernise the pool this year and is happy to pass on its knowledge and experience.

www.hallenbad-honau.de sb 2/2021

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NEWS

Renderings: IDOM

CREATING A NEW ATMOSPHERE MODERNIZATION OF THE SAN CARLOS APOQUINDO STADIUM IN SANTIAGO, CHILE The Spanish architecture firm IDOM seeks to transform the stadium into the country’s most modern and sustainable facility, and in full balance with the neighbourhood. The new venue will have a roof, a second floor in all the stands and a new building in the Livingstone grandstand, as well as 50 VIP boxes and high-level hospitality areas.

The Universidad Católica Sports Club, founded in 1937, inaugurated its current stadium in 1988, known as the San Carlos de Apoquindo Stadium. It is located at the foot of the Cordillera mountains. The public limited company managing the football branch of the Cruzados Club selected the Spanish architecture office IDOM, after a contest in which local and international firms participated, to be in charge to develop the project. IDOM collected a series of ideas and recommendations raised during the voluntary socialization process – several of them suggested by the club’s neighbours and fans.

Among the main features, the new stadium will have a roof for the four stands, and an extended capacity from 14,000 to 20,000 spectators thanks to a new second floor. A continuous boulevard is designed that allows access to all the upper part of the lower stands and that represents the line that separates what is linked to the ground from what is elevated. It will also include modern boxes located in the Livingstone and Fouillioux Grandstands, similar to those in European stadiums, VIP areas, commercial and service areas. The stadium will therefore be 7/365, economically sustainable and with a wide range of hospitality activities. It will also have a bigger area for the press, and a special area where fans can commemorate the club’s history.

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The new design generates a volume that is perceived as unitary, light and elevated with respect to what exists. In this sense, the use of wood as the main element in the façade and the roof structure allows a dialogue to be established between the tectonic and the light, while also being a sustainable resource, in line with the whole ­approach to the modernization of the stadium.

In this renovation effort, the four lighting towers will disappear, thanks to the latest technology LED luminaires that will be installed on the new roof, reducing considerably the light pollution in the neighbourhood. The new volumetric configuration will generate a better football atmosphere, better acoustics and greater comfort for spectators, and at the same time reducing the noise to the ­outside.

Considering the deadlines related to the necessary legal authorizations, the financing, and the sale of the naming rights to a main sponsor, Cruzados expects that the tasks will be fulfilled during the second half of 2021. In October 2023, the new venue intends to host dedicated sports disciplines of the Pan American Games. Construction works are expected to begin during the first half of 2022. www.idom.com sb 2/2021

HARO Sports Flooring & Protective Walls:

Double experience For more than half a century, Hamberger has been developing and producing one of the most important pieces of sports equipment: the flooring. HARO’s Protect Light, the new generation of area elastic protective walls, sets new benchmarks once again.

All-in-one solutions for sports and multi-purpose halls that exceed all current standards, guarantee to comply with official regulations and also allow a fast and cost effective installation, are now possible.

That’s for sure!

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Hamberger Flooring GmbH & Co. KG P.O. Box 10 03 53 · 83003 Rosenheim · Germany Phone +49 8031 700-240 · Fax +49 8031 700-463 E-Mail info@haro-sports.com · www.haro-sports.com

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NEWS

Renderings: snowkreilich

ALL SIDES OPEN CITY SC STADIUM IN ST. LOUIS (MISSOURI), USA St. Louis-based architecture firm HOK and Julie Snow, Co-Founder of Snow Kreilich Architects, ensure a CITY’s fan- and community-first approach and reiterate the often-stated goal of creating more than just a sports ­venue, but also a place that connects to life in St. Louis on non-game days as well as on game days. Every seat in the stadium will be within 40 m of the pitch, with the closest seats being just 5 m from the touchline.

Concepts for the new stadium district feature an integrated, powerfully accessible urban design. A new unique set of entries to the stadium on the 22nd Street side will accommodate fans coming from the northwest and southwest, along with direct access to suites for suite-holders.

Design enhancements to the East Plaza, which is north of Market Street, with integrated access to stadium functions including concessions and restrooms will extend the fan experience and promote non-game day community experiences within the stadium district.

New restaurant and concession areas for fans will both engage the game, as well as views to the city in the northside corners of the stadium.

Newly added pitch level loge boxes, which combine the intimacy of stadium box seats and upscale amenities of an executive suite, will add to the unique game-day fan experience, while putting fans ever closer to the action.

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Upper-level outdoor terraces, with unmatched views of the field and the downtown St. Louis skyline, will bring the energy of the city within and connect every view, experience and the overall design to the fabric of St. Louis.

“We designed the stadium district to be more than just about sports. It’s a key connection point in Downtown West, linking Union Station and businesses on Olive Street, while anchoring the west end of the Gateway Mall,” said Snow. “Not only will the energy from the stadium flow out into the district and the city, but the energy of the city will flow in.”

As a part of the stadium district design vision, every side of the stadium – north, east, south, west – will be open and inclusive and have no back door or back of house.

With all sides open, the stadium district is a fully integrated urban design and an inviting experience for all in the St. Louis region and beyond. www.snowkreilich.com; www.hok.com sb 2/2021

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NEWS

Renderings: moederscheimmoonen

OPEN AND GREEN “CAMPUS DE BRAAK” MULTIFUNCTIONAL STADIUM IN HELMOND, NETHERLANDS Multi-functionality is the essence of the new campus. The campus will be home to Helmond Sport and the Helmond Practice School. The design includes a NOC * NSF sports hall where the amateur football clubs Helmondia and Mulo will be accommodated. Additionally, a new location for JvdI De Fysioclub will be created.

Space for individual sports and relaxation is also incorporated with the addition of a running track and shared path for pedestrians and cyclists.

The municipality council of Helmond in the Netherlands has given green light for Campus de Braak in Helmond.

The plans for the project were put on hold at the beginning of 2020 after a difference of opinion with professional soccer club Helmond Sport about the programme of requirements, the design and the business case.

MoederscheimMoonen Architects, FaulknerBrowns and CULD were asked to team up to create a design tailored to the new brief. Now that the city council also supports the renewed plan, the project can restart.

In addition, the exterior has also been developed. Despite the fact that there are now only two large stands, the campus exudes a “stadium feeling” through the dynamic verticality of the façades. In the event of future expansion, two new stands can be added in the current building envelope.

The new building is surrounded by a central corridor that connects all entryways with each other and the surrounding neighbourhoods. Thanks to the connection ­b etween the campus and its surroundings, Campus de Braak will become an accessible meeting and ­recreational environment for the entire city.

In the design, the number of seats has been reduced to 3,600 places, which creates more space for the business areas for Helmond Sport. Additional space has also been created for the youth academy of the soccer club. With the collaboration of the municipality of Helmond, the OMO school group and other users, a new design has www.moederscheimmoonen.nl been developed which is centred around multi-­ www.faulknerbrowns.com www.culd-org.eu functionality.

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THE PERFECT BEGINNING FOR A SUCCESSFUL START INTO THE SEASON WITH SMG If you want to secure the best possible initial care for your artificial turf before the start of the season, you are at the right place with SMG. At the leading manufacturer of ride-on machines, tractor attachments and tow-behind devices for the maintenance of artificial turf, users will find 360° support in terms of technology and 100 percent know-how. For decades, SMG has set the standards in the development and production of machines for installing synthetic sports surfaces. This global practical experience resulted in the development of our own machine series for artificial turf maintenance.

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AFTERNOON BREEZES QUEENSLAND COUNTRY BANK STADIUM IN TOWNSVILLE The Queensland Country Bank Stadium took a year to design and only two years to build. A fan-focused seating bowl and food-and-beverage facilities create an optimum game experience. The stadium accommodates up to 25,000 patrons for sporting events and 40,000 patrons in concert mode. The community-based design includes event plazas for game day and general community use. Designed in association with Counterpoint Architecture, architecture firm COX worked in a deeply collaborative process with HPW, Stadiums Queensland, WATPAC and the North Queensland Cowboys.

In defining a sense of place for the stadium, the team worked closely from the local context. Consultation with the Wulgurukaba peoples played an important role in the stadium’s delivery. COX recognise the Wulgurukaba people of Gurambilarra (Townsville) and Yunbenun

Location Townsville, Australia Client Department of State Development

Architects COX architecture www.coxarchitecture.com.au Counterpoint Architecture www.cpoint.com.au

(Magnetic Island) as the traditional custodians of the land on which the Queensland Country Bank Stadium stands. COX acknowledges and respects their continuing culture and the contribution they make to the life of this city and this region.

Team Project Director: Richard Coulson Project Architects: Robert Callanan, Alexander Leese Technical Director: Alastair Richardson

Author COX architecture

Official opening February 2020

Photos Andrew Rankin Christopher Frederick Jones

Construction costs AUD 250 million (EUR 162 million)

Operator Stadiums Queensland sb 2/2021

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A building of its place Critical to the success of modern stadia and essential to regional stadia is a sense of identity. In defining a sense of place for the North Queensland Stadium, the design teams looked to indigenous and local fauna to define possibilities. This factor drove the design to create a unique sense of place that drew inspiration from the form and narrative of the pandanus tree. The pandanus tree is native to North Eastern Australia, commonly found on the coast and inland tropical Queensland. The Aboriginal 18

people used the edible fruits as medicine and fruit, also utilising the leaves to make clothing, hats, baskets and more. The pandanus tree is hardy and thus was the perfect visual representation of the Queensland spirit. The strap-like tapered leaves were a suitable reference point for the roof geometry.

Challenging wind conditions Wind speed was a significant influence on design. The architectural and engineering teams worked hard to desb 2/2021

sign a roof structure that responds to wind but also provides an overarching elegant expression for the structure. The roof structural scheme, developed with Arup, achieves a structural elegance in the face of cyclonic wind conditions and with a construction methodology that significantly reduced propping and provided flexibility in the construction sequence.

Multiple challenges were required to be assessed based on North Queensland’s tropical climate. Most sb 2/2021

Australian stadia have a language of elements and responses to climate including open concourses and minimised walls. North Queensland Stadium adopted a metal roof solution where a membrane is a potential alternative to cyclonic conditions and insulation against intense heat.

The stadium’s open-ended bowl allows afternoon breezes to travel through and create relief.

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Concourse interacts with the bowl The design of the horseshoe-shaped bowl facing north towards the city and Magnetic Island was driven by a range of desires. The stadium needed to hold the proposed capacity without taking away from the close-knit-community feel of its small suburban grounds. It needed to combine structural, functional and operational aspects of international modern stadia with engagement of its quintessentially Queensland surrounds.

Using the natural sweep of land, amenities and other ancillary service facilities are located at ground level under the main concourse. Food and beverage facilities are located on the concourse for better engagement with the bowl, maintaining sightlines from the concourse through to the playing field at all times.

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New landmark The building is the single largest in Townsville and one of the largest in Northern Australia. It is at the gateway to the central business district and one of the defining images of the city. As well as the physical relationship to the city, the horseshoe stadium form is uniquely identifiable to North Queensland and is recognised as such both nationally and internationally.

The stadium is in an urban landscape that is deeply influenced by local topography. Mt Stuart, Castle Hill and Magnetic Island are key landmarks in Townsville and the organic nature of the venue responds to these dominant physical elements.

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EAST ELEVATION

SOUTH ELEVATION

WEST ELEVATION

NORTH ELEVATION

Project:

Drawing Title:

QUEENSLAND COUNTRY BANK STADIUM

ELEVATIONS

Scale:

1 : 500 @ A1

Cox Architecture

Level 2, 2 Edward Street, Brisbane, QLD 4000, Australia www.coxarchitecture.com.au

THREE QUESTIONS TO THE ARCHITECT Which is your favourite sports facility? And why?

Prior to the Queensland Country Bank Stadium, my favourite sports facility that we have been involved in is possibly the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre built for the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games. It combines a community facility with direct engagement with the landscape and the beautiful local Broadwater park that can facilitate major events through simple bump in strategies. It responded to a low-capital investment premise and focussed on legacy performance and avoided the “white elephant” conditions that sometimes plague venues built for singular major events.

RICHARD COULSON Director Cox Architecture Which theme will dominate sports architecture in the near future?

Certainly COVID-related matters of social distancing, travel and inertia developed through lockdown are likely to dominate. The Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo will be a test of this. The challenge for venue designers will be maintaining the “fans-first” experience, the expression of community competition and celebration in a less dense venue, while balancing this with maintaining and growing revenue for venue operators. sb 2/2021

Which is your favourite sport and favourite club?

What does this sport mean to you as an architect?

I have spent most of my life in Queensland and played many sports, but was born in Melbourne and it is hard to shake off the welded-on passion for Australian Rules Football. My “growing-up” club was North Melbourne who had major success and a pantheon of iconic players at the time.

My earliest recollections are standing on the terraces with friends and strangers hearing the crowd cheer, jeer and implore the players and umpires. This idea of watching something but being part of something else has informed the approach to making social spaces for community as much as a workplace for athletes.

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FOCUSSING ON FOOTBALL FOOTBALL STADIUM IN LAUSANNE The new football stadium designed by :mlzd und Sollberger Bögli Architekten AG is located in the Northern part of the City of Lausanne, at the point where the city’s dense urban fabric gives way to the more open countryside. The sports infrastructure at the new “Centre sportif de la Tuilière” comprises nine football pitches, arranged in two rows, in addition to an athletics facility with a training centre. The stadium picks up on the idea of the slightly offset rectangular pitches, taking it even further. Positioned at a slight angle to the training pitches, the stadium square is orchestrated to form the city-side entry point to the sports campus.

The new football stadium is intended exclusively for football matches and major events, with no peripheral uses. Its limited deployment and its location on the outskirts of the city permit a design focused fully on the stadium as a sports facility.

With its distinctive, unforgettable structure, it serves as a carrier of identity and memories. Its architecture emotionalises with the steep stands bringing spectators right up to the action on the pitch and the low roof amplifying the background noise of the chanting fans. The architecture thus contributes in no small way to boosting the team’s home advantage through its structural measures. The building, history and identity of “FC Lausanne-Sport” are all to merge into a single whole.

Open architecture Folding back the four corners of the stadium enables the design to be tailored to the confined space on the site. The ingenious 22

corner solution permits a generous free flow of visitors around the building at ground-floor level, linking the stadium square to its surrounding areas. At the same time, it creates a covered public space to serve as a go-between, reconciling the outside with the inside and the city with the football stadium. The corners simultaneously serve as entrance areas, providing initial glimpses of the pitch.

The folded back corners also lend the stadium the impressive, unmistakeable and even iconic look of a convex vessel, indicative of its use and what lies within. This distinctive shape additionally has a role to play in the building’s statics by the corners exerting tensile stress on the ring girders running around the top edge of the stadium, imparting rigidity to the four outside walls. In the plinth area, the four corners are linked by a single-storey concrete band. This puts the finishing touch to the aesthetics of the sb 2/2021

stadium’s outer shell. In functional and visual terms, this “curtain wall” separates the ancillary functions on the ground floor, which include catering, circulation and lounge zones, from the surrounding area, integrating them in the building.

Resonance box Inscribed within this outer shell is a second, inner shell, shaped by the geometry of the stands. “Mouth holes” cut out of the stands provide access to the innermost zone. The space between the two shells is like a resonance box, amplifying the happenings on the pitch: a place of anticipation, exchange and encounters. On the narrow sides of these spaces, the gaze is drawn to the stepped inner sides of the corners. These provide further access from the entry level to the walkway around the top, thus generating additional functional value.

The walkway is formed by the tensioned girders mentioned above, connecting the four corners of the building. The change in design at this point, from heavy concrete in the lower section to a slender steel structure above, highlights the walkway in architectural terms as well. Especially during major events without spectator segregation, it invites visitors to access their seat via different routes gaining new perspectives. sb 2/2021

Location Lausanne, Switzerland Client/operator City of Lausanne Architects :mlzd CH – 2503 Biel/ Bienne www.mlzd.ch Sollberger Bögli Architekten AG CH – 2503 Biel/ Bienne www.sollbergerboegli.ch Structural Engineering & Facade Engineering Dr. Lüchinger+Meyer Bauingenieure AG Project Teams :mlzd: Pat Tanner, Daniele Di Giacinto, Alain Brülisauer, Andreas Frank, Claude Marbach, David Locher, Adrian Widmer, Camille Schneider, Eliane Lehmann, Brigitte Ballif,

Delphine Kohler, Robert Ilgen, Johannes Weisser, Benjamin Minder, Julia Wurst, Pascal Deschenaux, Magdalena Haslinger, Tobias Cebulla, Claudia Schmidt, Jonatan Anders, Natascha Kellner Sollberger Bögli Architekten AG: Ivo Sollberger, Lukas Bögli, Bernard Luisier, Silas Maurer, Kevin Fuchs, Josué von Bergen, Patrick Wüthrich Authors :mlzd and Sollberger Bögli Architekten AG Photos Ariel Huber Photography Opening match 29. November 2020 Construction costs CHF 80 million (EUR 73 million)

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Inside lines exude tranquillity It is the pitch and the protagonists acting on it that take over the dramaturgy here. Nothing which could cause distraction was added, even the seating rows run horizontally round the corners. The vomitories emerging from the inner shell blend into the picture almost completely calm. Even the business and VIP zones are matched to the geometry of the seating. Everything is in servitude to the stadium’s purpose: the game.

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Fragmented glass curtain On the outside, the geometry of the beams and the underside of the stands dominate the stadium on three sides. The west side, by contrast, houses the main stand with its specific uses. The various cloakrooms, press and VIP zones are visible over three floors through a filigree glass skin. Gentle creases between the vertically configured strips of glass enhance the impression that this façade is just a light glass curtain. Its fragmented reflections break up the vast scale of the building. sb 2/2021

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Location Helsinki, Finland Client The Stadium Foundation Contractor City of Helsinki, Urban Environment Division Architects K2S Architects FI – 00260 Helsinki www.k2s.fi Architects NRT FI – 00100 Helsinki www.n-r-t.fi Lead Architects Kimmo Lintula (K2S Architects) Kari Raimoranta (Architects NRT) Structural design Sweco Finland Oy Landscape design Maisema-arkkitehtitoimisto Näkymä Oy Author K2S Architects Photos Tuomas Uusheimo, Wellu Hämäläinen Opening match 24 August 2020 Construction costs EUR 330 million 26

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MODERN EVENTS VENUE FOR SPORTS AND CULTURE WITH POWERFUL HERITAGE MODERNISATION OF THE HELSINKI OLYMPIC STADIUM The Helsinki Olympic Stadium, built in 1938, is an iconic landmark. After 80 years, its core functions – sports and events – have evolved along with the contemporary needs of its facilities. K2S together with Architects NRT have worked on the stadium’s preservation plan with simple forms and expressions. K2S first designed a new wooden canopy for the building in 2005, followed by 20,000 m² of multifunctional spaces for events and activities, including the visitor centre. The preservation plan included restoration efforts and combining the preserved areas with new interventions, additions and premises.

The Helsinki Olympic Stadium is a building with significant national value. It is a combination of the pure functionalist architecture of the 1930s and the external appearance of the 1952 Helsinki Olympics. For many

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Finns, the stadium, the result of an open architectural competition held in the 1930s won by architects Yrjö Lindegren and Toivo Jäntti, symbolises the dawn of a new era for the young nation.

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The stadium has had to adapt to several new usages during the decades since the Helsinki Olympics. As a result, the original pureness of the architecture had been blurred due to functional changes and additions. The key objective was to ensure that the conservation and revitalisation of the stadium responds to all future requirements of international sport events as well as preserving the cultural value of its heritage.

The conservation respected and preserved the original 1930s and 1950s architecture. Through restorations, repairs and modified reconstruction, the stadium has gained new multipurpose premises for the public and significant im28

provements in logistics. The revitalised entity appears as a familiar and distinctive monument with humane dimensions.

The stadium has been refurbished in accordance with the guidelines of FIFA, UEFA and World Athletics. New entrances to the stands and the public galleries under the structures ensure the free flow of the public during events.

The plastered facades and the visible concrete structures with the brickwork were restored to their original appearance. The old bench rows were replaced with new individual seats. In keeping with the original architecture, many surfaces have been executed in wood so that the stadium sb 2/2021

retains its distinct Finnish character. Reinforcing this impression, a special wood composite was developed for the seats and also meets the strict fire safety requirements.

The new canopy covers the stands almost entirely.

sports and cultural events, trade fairs and conferences, numerous multifunctional indoor amenities are housed under the forecourt. These can be used independently of stadium operations. Thus, the stadium can serve as the main venue for sports and cultural events in Finland all year round.

The stadium was extended to include 20,000 m² underground, including new multipurpose premises and an indoor running track. The huge underground loading and unloading areas on the north side are mainly available for the event area. Other logistics systems such as lifts and installations have also been fully replaced. For

All the materials used in the project are directly associated with the history of the stadium. Timeless and durable solutions with white concrete, wood and glass in the new premises merge into the existing parts of the stadium. Together they form the new refurbished Helsinki Olympic Stadium.

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SETTING SAIL Location Al Wakrah, Qatar Client/Operator Committee for Delivery & Legacy of the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar™ Architects Zaha Hadid Architects www.zaha-hadid.com Convertible roof construction schlaich bergermann partner www.sbp.de External roof construction AECOM www.aecom.com Author schlaich bergermann partner Photos Hufton+Crow Luke Hayes schlaich bergermann partner sbp / Christoph Paech Official opening May 2019

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AL JANOUB STADION IN AL WAKRAH Owing to the extreme climatic conditions, schlaich bergermann partner have designed a retractable membrane roof for Al Janoub Stadium, which shades both the stands and the pitch and protects them from the weather. The activated and cooled structural mass even makes it possible to open the roof during football matches without exceeding the permissible temperature.

The city of Al Wakrah is one of the oldest in Qatar. In former times, the traditional dhow vessels set sail from the harbour town to fish or to bring pearl divers to their diving grounds.

The striking hull of a dhow with its large sails inspired this futuristic design from Zaha Hadid Architects.

Several stadiums are being built for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Al Janoub Stadium with its 40,000 seats is intended for several preliminary round matches and a quarter-final. To adapt the stadium to local needs after the World Cup, the spectator capacity will be halved. The adaptation options will permit other events in addition to year-round use.

Roof structure To create the desired dynamic folding, the envelope of the outer roof consists of large-format aluminium panels and a steel substructure.

The doubly symmetrical outer roof structure consists of several wide-span steel arches. The three-dimensionally shaped arched trusses span the stadium’s entire length of about 230 m in a north-south direction. Because of the span, a three-chord truss has been used as a cost-effective solution. At their ends, the arched trusses rest on large steel bearings. The arches are curved both in elevation and in plan, creating a curved roof opening. A perimeter truss defines the edge of the roof and helps to support the secondary roof shell structure.

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Retractable membrane roof When the retractable membrane roof over the pitch is closed, both the stands and the pitch are shaded and protected from the weather. Even in the hot summer months with outside air temperatures of up to 50°C, it is thus possible to cool the temperature in the interior. Thanks to the activated and cooled structural mass, the retractable roof can even be opened for the duration of a football match without the limit values for permissible temperatures being exceeded.

The 10,800 m² retractable inner roof transforms the open-air stadium into a fully enclosed multi-purpose hall within 30 minutes. The inner roof has plan dimensions of approximately 170 m from north to south and up to 93 m east-west.

Inner roof takes up the folded design principle To ensure that the shape of the inner roof is perfectly integrated into the architectural design, it takes up the folded 32

design principle of the outer roof envelope. Like the outer roof, the retractable inner roof is also doubly symmetrical. The strategy adopted for the inner roof is efficient and makes use of lightweight construction methods, with low-mass materials significantly reducing the loads in the overall system.

To achieve the desired overall fold geometry in the membrane surfaces, a 95 m long truss spans the pitch in an east-west direction with its geometry adapted to the changing moments. The ends of the truss, which is 8.5 m high in the centre and 2.5 m wide throughout, discharge their loads directly into the main arches of the outer roof.

On each half of the roof, 23 cables fanning out horizontally link the inner roof truss to the outer roof. The fully enclosed cables with a diameter of 55 mm are connected alternately to the upper and lower chords of the inner roof truss and form the ridge and valley cables of the membrane roof surface. The radially gathered textile sb 2/2021

membrane is arrayed beneath these cables. The membrane and radial chords are connected at certain points to the corresponding radial cables via sliding carriages.

Both the radial chords and the inner edge chords are anchored to the sliding carriage. The sliding carriage also runs on the radial cables, but can be actively propelled with a cable winch. At the opposite ends of the radial chords, they are anchored directly in the outer roof support structure.

distance between two suspension points is never greater than in the mechanically pretensioned geometry. The developed folding geometry in elevation in combination with a fan-like membrane in plan permits the radial driving, folding and mechanical pretensioning of the membrane to the inner roof truss.

The outer roof cladding projects in all cases beyond the inner roof in order to provide effective protection from the sun and rain. Membrane garages are located at the northern and southern ends of the inner roof. The valley cables slope from the inner roof truss to the outer roof to drain the membrane surfaces.

Due to the system’s low dead weight, it is possible to adopt a simple mechanical process for propulsion and pretensioning. Each of the two membrane segments is connected via 332 sliding carriages to the valley and ridge cables. The sliding carriages run on the fully enclosed spiral cables with the aid of oil-impregnated aramid blocks.

At each of the four side edges of the inner roof, the resulting forces from the membrane are discharged to an edge rail via five roller carriages.

Driving mechanism and functional description A flat membrane can only be folded in mechanically pretensioned structures if during the driving process the

The membrane structure is pretensioned directly by the winch drive. This means that the drive cables have to be designed for the full pretensioning force.

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Location Szeged, Hungary Client/operator Szeged-Csanád Diocese Architects Vision Architectural Studio Concept design BORD Architectural Studio www.bordstudio.hu Mechanical Engineering BORD HVAC Engineering Author BORD Architectural Studio Photos György Palkó Official opening 2019 Construction costs HUF 13.4 billion EUR 36 million

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SPORT, COMMUNITY AND CULTURE AS ITS MISSION SZENT GELLÉRT FORÚM FOOTBALL STADIUM IN SZEGED The site of the Szent Gellért Fórum designed by BORD Architectural Studio measures about 10 hectares. In addition to the football stadium, the complex also includes an amphitheatre, three tennis courts, an artificial turf football pitch, a running track and a playground. The ­stadium with its 8,000-seat grandstand is suitable for hosting international football and UEFA Champions League matches and Europa League qualifiers. The indoor event hall also hosts handball, basketball, futsal and badminton competitions.

Szeged is the largest city in the south of the Hungarian Great Plains. It is located at the confluence of two major rivers, the Tisza and the Maros. It is a genuine regional centre and an important hub of culture and sport for the local population.

With divine assistance The Szent Gellért Fórum is Hungary’s first sports complex to be run by the Catholic church. The institution was officially opened to mark the millennial celebrations of the Szeged-Csanád diocese. The primary aim of the parish is to pro-

vide sport, community and cultural events to the citizens of Szeged, regardless of their age.

Apart from organising sport activities, youth gatherings and concerts, it has also been an important goal to support regional competitions, local football and the training of young football players. Besides the UEFA category-IV football stadium, the 10-hectare investment includes an event centre, open-air sports grounds, playgrounds, a work-out park for adults, and a mini amphitheatre. There is also a small chapel in the main building. sb 2/2021

In the shape of a football The design programme of the Szent Gellért Fórum envisaged the creation of four individual stands. However, the architectural concept initiated a form that encompasses the pitch instead, to enhance the spectator experience.

The lines of seats on the stands are designed in a gradually narrowing arrangement upwards from the baseline. These trapezoidal stands create a closed bowl structure. The inner design defines the outside character of the stadium, as well, with the truncated corners recalling the hexagonal segments of a football.

Black panther Although the colours used on the stands may seem randomly selected, they do actually have a significance. Blue sb 2/2021

represents the river Tisza that runs through the city while green stands for the countryside surrounding the city of Szeged. Black is the colour of the man who gave his name to parish team, Gyula Grosics, the legendary goalkeeper whose nickname was “the black panther”.

For the sake of environmental considerations and efficient operation, the mechanical engineering team of BORD Architectural Studio was involved right at the concept design phase. Vision Architectural Studio provided the engineering background and acted as the general designer of the complex. The biggest challenge throughout the implementation was the low-investment budget, although the outcome is a building that is both a valuable long-term investment and sustainable.

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PLAYING ON THE ROOF “STADION VOGESEN” SCHOOLYARD REDEVELOPMENT IN BASLE Location Basle, Switzerland Client/Operator Building Department of Canton of Basel-Stadt Architects MET Architects GmbH SIA CH – 4002 Basle www.met-architects.com Design team Thomas Thalhofer, Roula Moharram Eliana Oliveira Construction management Caretta + Weidmann Baumanagement AG Civil engineer WMM Ingenieure AG Author MET Architects GmbH SIA Photos Ruedi Walti Official opening 2019 Construction cost CHF 2.2 million (EUR 1.9 million)

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Three schools in the north of Basle together form an open perimeter block built around a schoolyard above an underground gymnasium and swimming pool. The team of planners from MET Architects entrusted with the redevelopment have designed an open space with two basketball courts flanked by covered seating stands to replace plant tubs, skylights and fountains. They extend across the entire width of the playing area and form a stadium-like space that is available to the schools and the entire neighbourhood for use during breaks, for sport and for recreation.

Redevelopment had been necessitated by recurring problems with the watertightness of the covering of the underground gymnasium and swimming pool, and the design of the courtyard no longer met the needs of the neighbouring schools. MET Architects had already been entrusted with the modernisation and modification of the Vogesen, Pestalozzi and St. Johann schools from 2015 to 2017.

The gymnasium and swimming pool – built in 1980 by the architects Gass and Hafner – are spanned by six concrete girders that transfer their loads to interior columns on the facade side and to load-bearing interior walls in the

centre. Particularly remarkable is the “structural symbiosis” of the external, non-load-bearing supports of the existing building, which were purely aesthetic features of the 1980 building, and, seamlessly mounted on top of them, the new single-hip concrete frames that support the stand roofs. The formerly “non-functional” part of the existing building has been structurally activated and has thus become decisive for the realisation of the new project.

Extension of the assignment According to the original plan, only the 40-yearold roof of the underground gymnasium and swimming pool was to be waterproofed. It was sb 2/2021

Facade before the renovation

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New facade with grandstand roof

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Schoolyard before renovation

„Activated“ schoolyard with playing fields

therefore exclusively a technical project, without any further design brief. On the school’s initiative, however, the schools’ students were invited to participate and contribute additional ideas, such as for covered seating and a paved area for practising various sports.

Same coating for roof and playing area Each projecting by about six metres, the stand roofs are clearly visible from the surrounding school buildings. The stairs and seating steps below the roof are visually highlighted with sandblasted bands and contrast with the exposed concrete surfaces of the existing building. In order to protect the reinforcement of the concrete from moisture penetration and also ensure high visibility, the roofs were covered with the same red polyurethane coating used for the playing surface. The playing area is visually extended beyond 38

its edges and also enhances the stadium’s identity when viewed from the upper floors of the surrounding buildings.

Integration in its environment The three schools are located in buildings, the majority of which are listed. Similarly to the renovation of the school buildings, the refurbishment of the roof of the underground gymnasium and swimming pool and the addition of grandstand structures on either side again involved the search for structural, spatial and atmospheric potential, i.e. the basic prerequisites for “building extension”. As a result, the extension not only makes use of the structural constraints of the existing building on which it formally builds, but also bears an intended resemblance in material and surface to the “historic” architecture of the 1980s, now only visible in the atriums. sb 2/2021

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MINIMALIST AND EASY-CARE SPORTS FIELD BUILDING FOR FISTBALL CLUB IN BOLZANO “Only a temporary structure” was requested by the municipal administration for the fistball clubhouse in Bolzano in South Tyrol. The building stands in the floodplain of a river and is only used during the warmer months. Busselli Scherer Architects have placed the slender structure on a ledge on the terrain. With its open portico and loggia, the simple container building with its minimalist features is reminiscent of the design of the farmhouses often encountered in the region.

Location Bolzano, South Tyrol (Italy) Client/Operator SSV Bozen Fistball Unit Architects Busselli Scherer Architekten Architekt Michael Scherer IT – 39100 Bolzano (BZ) www.bussellischerer.com Author Michael Scherer Photos Michael Scherer, Nicolo de Giorgis, Boris Miklautsch Official opening April 2020 Construction cost EUR 270,000

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The club’s sports fields are located on the Bolzano waterfront along the river Talfer and are thus within the river’s floodplain. In general, the erection of fixed structures is discouraged here because of the risk of waterlogging. The building structure has therefore been developed with the geologist and structural engineer to ensure that, in the event of a disaster, it will not act as a barrier to water, causing the containers to loosen and become buoyant. The river control office was satisfied by this approach.

rain so as to create two modestly scaled outdoor spaces. The simple form of the building with its ventilated gable roof, open portico and loggia draws its inspiration from the familiar farmhouse typologies in the immediate vicinity.

The architectural design appropriately respects the special features of the site: a removable sports facility, harmoniously embedded in the floodplain and with a view of the famous castles of Bolzano.

The municipality’s requirement that “only a temporary structure” be erected was met with a modular building that houses the changing rooms and showers. Account is taken of the fistball club’s slim budget with inexpensive materials and simple details that are entirely maintenance-free despite heavy use and ball impact.

The building was constructed in two stages, partly on the team’s own initiative with the help of the architect, the house technician and a number of athletes.

Plain design Between the two sports fields, the slender building has been placed on a ledge on the ter-

Inexpensive and low-maintenance materials It took little time to assemble the overall structure. The bolted steel structure is dimensioned sb 2/2021

to save material and only rests on the meadow at certain points. The COR-TEN sheet metal and the grass-green containers complement the colours of the landscape at all times of the year. Used and heavily stressed parts, such as the façades, washbasins, toilets, showers and benches, are made of hard-wearing, sturdy sheet metal without a surface coating. The various parts of the building can be maintained by club members at low cost. All the materials are easy to clean and can be completely recycled.

Minimal fittings The building is only used during the warmer months.

Consequently, the building services equipment has been kept to a minimum, with great importance attached to functionalism. The changing rooms are ventilated by natu­ral thermals. The building stands across the slope and makes use of the incoming “bora” (a warm wind that blows every afternoon). The building is ventilated via the open roof structure and the grating floor – similar to historical farms. This way it has been largely possible to dispense with windows. The grating in the open portico sb 2/2021

outside the changing rooms also serves as a dirt trap for the often heavily soiled studded shoes. Water from the river is stored and filtered in a storage tank. Part of it is used for sprinkling the sports pitches, and the rest as service water for flushing the toilets. Solar cells are mounted on the south-facing roof surface to heat the water for the showers.

Interdisciplinary cooperation Close cooperation between the architect, geologist, structural engineer, building services engineer and the athletes has resulted in a simple yet appealing solution that responds to the narrowly defined task with physical infrastructure that does not detract from the protected landscape. The small structure with its functional projecting roof blends wonderfully into the landscape in terms of colour and appearance. The removable structure, which maintains a low profile while exhibiting a sensitive beauty in terms of its functionalism and simplicity, represents an appropriate and sustainable solution in steel with sparing use of energy and resources over its entire life cycle.

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POROUS APPEARANCE ARCHERY HOUSE IN FONTENAY-AUX-ROSES At the heart of the Vallons-de-la-Bièvre green belt which runs 14 km from Malakoff to Massy, the “Arc de Sceaux” house for archers engages in an ecological dialogue with the lusciously green environment that surrounds it. Measuring just 50 m² in size, the building provides space for storage, a bathroom and a seating area.

Location Fontenay-aux-Roses, France Client/Operator Ville de Fontenay-aux-Roses Architects Boman FR – 75010 Paris www.boman.fr Author Boman Photos Antoine Séguin Official opening 2019 Construction costs EUR 118,190

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The architects made the most of this unique context by developing a project that questions the role of a building in the middle of the urban landscape. Its isolated location and natural aesthetics give shape to a poetic and original construction, where archers and the natural world meet. In this urban ecological corridor, Boman designed a mineral construction only using natural materials.

The facility is built out of perforated brick-bearing terracotta - typically used in the North of France.

These bricks are saving on materials and organically sourced. The structure is assembled brick by brick, three to four rows at a time, onto a pad footing, thereby creating an aesthetic self-supporting façade. The construction thus refrains from using any additional facing materials and optimizes the number of building trades.

Cascades An original system has been put in place to draw attention to the rainwater flow: a rain chain.

T­ aking special care, it is composed of a cascading series of aluminum cups which guide the falling water with grace and elegance.

Round windows The brick walls are perforated by three round windows that invite the landscape to seamlessly enter the space. An oversized circular window on the main façade takes its cue from the archery targets found opposite, offering a uniquely generous view onto the shooting range. Carpentry frames and door lintels, made of precast stained pink concrete, enliven the four façades by creating geometric breaks that contrast with the porous appearance of the bricks.

Through the desire to create a moving façade, a large circular stained wood shutter, sliding on a rail was put in place. Its monumental proportions dictate much of the aesthetic of the façade, becoming a dominant architectural feature.

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ON TRACK AND OUT OF THE BOX BALL-AND-EXERCISE OUTDOOR SPORTS FACILITY IN NÆSTVED

Location Næstved, Denmark Client/operator Herlufsholm Idrætscenter Architect CASA Arkitekter DK – 4700 Næstved www.casa.dk Author CASA Photos Herlufsholm Idrætscenter CASA Arkitekter Official opening June 2020 Construction costs EUR 1.25 million

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The 9,000 m² ball-and-exercise outdoor sports facility offers low-threshold activities such as multi-track, CrossFit and fitness areas and a parkour area in addition to ball courts and a standard athletics track. This is a venue not only for athletics meetings, but also for play and informal training. At the facility designed by CASA Arkitekter, space for exercise is available to club members, sports enthusiasts, school children, senior citizens and people with disabil­ ities alike.

The operator of the facility – the Herlufsholm Gymnastikforening sports club – comprises a total of eleven sections (football, athletics & exercise, American football, swimming, orienteering, floorball, handball, gymnastics, weightlifting, badminton and a leisure club) with a total of 4,300 a­ ctive members. The Herlufsholm ball-and-exercise facility aims to make the large, centrally l­ocated outdoor area more attractive for interested ­individuals who do not currently use the facility.

A variety of activity areas have been created for a diverse user group. The project is a good example of how athletics stadiums in Denmark can position themselves in future, as many of them

are only attended on a limited scale by a narrowly defined group of users.

Around 5,000 m² of the area is surfaced with artificial turf in blue, green and red. The entire area is illuminated with LED in the evening. There are orienteering lights in the area and independent lighting on the beach volleyball court and the multifunctional court.

The obstacle course meets the requirements for an official military obstacle course. The course is 500 m long and is integrated into the existing activities and courses. The obstacle course m ­ erges with the volleyball area and parkour park and sb 2/2021

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Activity areas 1 Multifunctional court for handball, football, basketball 2 CrossFit area 3 Military obstacle course

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4 Beach sport area 5 Running tracks 6 High jump 7 Long jump

ends at the team training area. The obstacles are built of natural materials such as wood and stone and blend well with their appearance into the surroundings.

covering. The covering is supported by a steel system, which also functions as a single large item of training apparatus for such activities as push-ups and climbing.

The fitness area has been placed in the former conference centre. Consisting of three continuous fitness rooms, it is designed so as to support the building’s load-bearing system. The façades overlooking the obstacle course have been replaced by a continuous folding door system.

Illumination indicates activity level The covered area outside the fitness area serves as a crossfit area and as a quick break on the obstacle course. The cover is illuminated from the inside by coloured light. The brightness of the lighting in the fitness centre is affected by the activity level, making it visible from a distance when the activity in the fitness centre is high.

The triangular area between the new fitness centre, hall and outdoor sports facilities is roofed over with a textile sb 2/2021

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Photo: MET

CLIMATE-FRIENDLY AND SUSTAINABLE ARTIFICIAL TURF CHALLENGES, GOALS, APPROACHES AND SOLUTIONS Author

Rolf Haas, Deputy Chairperson of IAKS Germany

The climate neutrality of an artificial turf depends essentially on the raw material. Nowadays, the standard material for artificial turf fibre is polyethylene (PE) derived from petroleum. While the associated product costs are relatively low, the disadvantage is that petroleum is a fossil resource and the CO2 emissions are high.

At first glance, obtaining the PE from renewable raw materials such as sugar cane or palm oil would appear to be much climate-friendlier. Unfortunately, however, rainforests are felled in Brazil and Asia, for example, in order to obtain more and more arable land for these renewable raw materials.

This white paper provides an overview of the current international climate protection targets and presents possible solutions for a climate-friendly and sustainable artificial turf.

Sustainability Development Goals of the Agenda 2030 In 2015, in its Agenda 2030, the United Nations agreed on 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).1 The SDGs cover all areas of sustainable development from marine and ­climate protection to decent work and the rule of law. Of ­particular interest to the artificial turf industry are goals 12 to 15: Sustainable Consumption, Sustainable Production, Sustainable Procurement, Combating Climate Change, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Protecting Oceans, and Protecting Terrestrial ­Ecosystems.

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European climate law In December 2020, the EU heads of state and government agreed on a new EU climate target. The EU‘s internal greenhouse gas emissions are to be reduced by at least 55% by 2030 over 1990. Greenhouse gas neutrality is to be achieved by 2050. To implement this, the European Commission will present a series of proposals to adjust existing EU climate and energy legislation by June 2021.

1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustainable_Development_Goals

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Source: EU Commission, The European Green Deal, COM/2019/640, 11 December 2019

The European Green Deal Back in December 2019, the EU Commission presented its European Green Deal, a roadmap on how it intends to address the challenges of climate change and environmental protection. The plan is to decouple economic growth in the EU as far as possible from resource use.

The European Green Deal comprises an action plan to promote the efficient use of resources through the transition to a clean and circular economy and to restore biodiversity and combat pollution: Circular economy The circular economy is an important element of the European Green Deal. The aim is to further develop production in closed cycles and thus minimise waste and emissions as well as raw material and energy loss. Products are to be designed in such a way that they can be reused, be amenable to pure-grade recycling and have a long useful life.

In Germany, for example, the German Circular Economy Act (Kreislaufwirtschaftsgesetz) obliges manufacturers to give priority to recycled materials in the manufacture of their products. The public sector is obliged to give preference to products that have been manufactured using ­recycled materials and that are durable, low-polluting and recyclable. sb 2/2021

What do we do with used artificial turf?

As soon as an artificial turf pitch is disposed of after replacement or removal, the components are regarded as waste. This End of Life (EOL) artificial turf must be treated according to the waste hierarchy of the European Waste Framework Directive. A distinction is made between waste prevention, recovery and disposal. The currently predominant method is energy recovery, i.e. EOL artificial turf is incinerated.

Waste prevention For waste prevention, the durability of the artificial turf fibre is of major importance – the longer the artificial turf lasts, the less waste is generated. For mechanical durability, the Lisport test according to EN 15330-1 can be resorted to. Another decisive factor for longevity is the artificial fibre’s UV resistance. EN 13864 governs the requirements and test methods of the associated UV simulation. The standards stipulate an absolute minimum requirement; manufacturers are already offering products that far exceed this and consequently promise even greater durability.

Proper and regular maintenance extends the life of an artificial turf pitch and thus also helps to prevent waste. The artificial turf systems of several manufacturers with significantly less sand infill or entirely without infill granulate also contribute to waste avoidance.

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Waste recovery When an old artificial turf pitch is removed, its components are separated. Depending on the quality, the removed sand can be reinstalled in the new artificial turf pitch after cleaning or reused in the construction industry or in land reclamation. Old infill granulate is used in the production of fall protection mats and in low-noise asphalt.

Internal cycle for artificial turf: mechanical recycling Mechanical recycling generates new raw materials from the feedstock without changing its basic structure. So that the EOL artificial turf can be recycled into a new artificial turf system, it is first converted into an EOL agglomerate. The aim is to convert this EOL agglomerate back into a new, high-quality artificial turf and thus reduce the drain on new resources.

Waste from artificial turf production as well as EOL plastic waste from the plastics industry can also be mechanically recycled and processed into EOL agglomerates.

Certification of professional recycling To give building owners the assurance of professional recycling when old artificial turf pitches are removed, processed and recycled, certification to EU CertPlast is available. The basis for this certification is EN 15343, which specifies the procedures required for the traceability of recycled plastics.

However, not all EU CertPlast-certified companies specialise in the recycling of artificial turf systems.

Sustainable supply chains with the ISCC PLUS c­ ertificate So that a building owner can be sure that the correct amount of sustainable raw material such as mixed plastic waste has been used in his artificial turf fibres, there is the ISCC PLUS certificate (International Sustainability and Carbon Certification). ISCC is a nationally recognised certification system for tracking sustainable raw materials throughout the supply chain. All companies involved in the production process must be ISCC PLUS-certified. The purchased quantities of sustainable raw materials as well as the

EOL PE agglomerates can be used directly in a new artificial turf fibre. A fibre with a core-sheath structure is particularly suited to this. Here, the core is composed of EOL agglomerate derived from mechanically recycled fibres or EOL plastic waste.

EOL agglomerates can also be used in the installation of elastic layers. Here, the EOL agglomerates replace the mineral components of an elastic base layer.

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www.eucertplast.eu

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Photo: FieldTurf Tarkett SAS

product quantities manufactured from them and their storage locations are regularly monitored by ISCC. Upon delivery, the building owner receives an ISCC PLUS Sustainability Declaration confirming the quantity and type of the desired sustainable raw material, such as plastic waste, in his artificial turf.

Climate-friendly artificial turf: The challenge of ­chemical recycling By chemically recycling plastic waste, the industry is developing new approaches to the recycling of plastic waste.

“Chemical recycling” refers to chemical processes in which plastics can be broken down into their molecules, from which new plastics can then be produced.

In the depolymerisation process, for example, the plastic waste is heated in the absence of oxygen. The plastic waste breaks down into its components, which can be reused as “valuable raw materials”. The resulting pyrolysis oil is

processed into polyethylene and can be used as a raw material for new artificial turf fibres.

The practical aspect of this is that chemical recycling also works with mixed plastic waste from different materials that cannot otherwise be recycled. These wastes are thus also given a second life. Chemical recycling is thus capable of conserving valuable petroleum resources, and pyrolysis oil serves as the basis for new high-quality plastics.

Chemical recycling, however, still requires further development until the techniques are suitable for market launch.

Conclusion The circular economy is an important strategy for the achievement of global and European climate protection goals. It calls for the manufacture of products in closed cycles in order to minimise waste, emissions, and raw material and energy losses. In this respect, everyone involved in the value chain in the artificial turf industry – from the manu­facturer to the consumer and the recycler – are called upon to take responsibility and act sustainably.

The mechanical recycling of disused artificial turf systems including the associated certification of recyclers and supply chains is one of the first fully functional systems of the circular economy. The next development goal is chemical recycling.

www.iscc-system.org

sb 2/2021

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HOW GREEN IS ARTIFICIAL TURF? AN ECOLOGICAL COMPARISON OF ARTIFICIAL AND NATURAL TURF

Author

Co-author

René Itten, Research Associate of the Life Cycle Assessment Research Group, Zurich University of Applied Sciences (Photo above) Matthias Stucki, Head of the Life Cycle Assessment Research Group, Zurich University of Applied Sciences (Photo below)

The City of Zurich wishes to reduce its per-capita primary energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.

To analyse and compare the environmental impact of different types of turf pitches, the Grün Stadt Zürich has commissioned Zurich University of Applied Sciences with a life cycle assessment study. How do artificial turf pitches with and without infill compare with natural turf pitches? The authors René Itten and Matthias Stucki of the Life Cycle Assessment Research Group at Zurich University of Applied Sciences draw their conclusions.

(Un)natural?

Artificial and natural turf pitches are precisely defined and built structures, and their visible life cycle starts with their construction. However, this is almost the only thing that artificial turf and natural turf have in common. In a comprehensive life cycle assessment, researchers at Zurich University of Applied Sciences in cooperation with the Grün Stadt Zürich and sports ground experts have compared the environmental impact of natural and artificial turf from pitch construction through maintenance and renovation through to dismantling and disposal. Even if natural turf and artificial turf have the same function as a sports surface, the two product systems could not be more different.

Different environmental impacts The artificial turf value chain of relevance for the life cycle assessment begins with the production of petroleum as the raw material, while the value chain of natural turf starts with the production of turf seeds and synthetic fertilisers. The environmental impacts of the two types of turf pitches are correspondingly different. With artificial turf, it is its production, renovation and disposal that have the biggest impact. But natural turf is also anything but natural, with the biggest environmental impact being in its operation and maintenance with the use of fertilisers, plant protection products and diesel-powered vehicles for mowing and filling with sand.

However, there are differences not only between artificial and natural turf, but also within these two types. The two main types of artificial turf are with infill of sand or plastic granulate and without infill. For its part, natural turf can be classified into turf with a drainage layer and naturally drained natural turf on the existing soil.

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Hours of usage are crucial The key variable for a comparison of turf pitches is the annual hours of use. Unlike natural turf, artificial turf can also be used in winter or wet weather and can therefore be played on much longer. The greater the intensity of turf use, the lower the environmental impact per hour of use. A survey of the effective usage time in the City of Zurich has shown that, in reality, natural turf is used far less than is theoretically possible.

Carbon footprint per hour of use Put to maximum theoretical use, an artificial turf pitch without infill and natural turf with a drainage layer cause the lowest greenhouse gas emissions at 36 kg CO2eq per hour of use. A comparison of the different types of turf clearly shows where the differences lie. Maintenance causes 60% and 45% of the greenhouse gas emissions of natural turf, naturally drained and with a drainage layer, respectively. For artificial turf with and without infill, only 8% and just over 1% of the environmental impact comes from maintenance. On the other hand, renovation causes 45% to 48% and disposal 20% to 23% of the greenhouse gas emissions of artificial turf. In the case of artificial turf with infill, the granulate infill is fully replaced and disposed of during renovation.

The annual usage varies from 480 hours for naturally drained natural turf to 1,600 hours for the two types of artificial turf. Since artificial turf without infill can be used more intensively than natural turf and also impacts the environment considerably less during renovation and maintenance than artificial turf with infill, artificial turf without infill yields lower values for greenhouse gas emissions than natural turf with a drainage layer. sb 2/2021

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Greenhouse gas emissions in kg CO2eq per hour of use 10

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Natural turf, natural drainage, 480 h

Natural turf, drainage layer, 800 h

Artificial turf without infill, 1,600 h

Artificial turf with infill, 1,600 h

Construction of substructure Construction equipping Renovation Maintenance (sanding) Maintenance (plant protection products) Disposal

Construction turf surface Construction work (other) Maintenance (fertiliser application) Maintenance (mowing) Maintenance (other)

Greenhouse gas emissions of the various turf pitches per hour of use, broken down into the contributions from construction, renovation, maintenance and disposal

Comparison of other environmental impacts Any comparison of different turf pitches must not be reduced to greenhouse gas emissions alone, as a broader comparison taking various environmental impacts into account reveals further significant differences.

In terms of air pollutants and the eutrophication of seas and soils, the environmental impact of artificial turf is significantly lower than that of natural turf. Air pollutants and eutrophication are mainly caused by the maintenance of natural turf. More specifically, the burning of diesel during lawn-mowing causes air pollution, and the use of artificial fertilisers encourages eutrophication.

Natural turf and artificial turf differ most in terms of ecotoxic emissions. The plant protection products used on natu­ral turf are released into the environment, causing toxic effects. Since neither artificial fertilisers nor pesticides are used in the maintenance of artificial turf and diesel consumption in the maintenance of artificial turf is also significantly lower, the impact of artificial turf is significantly lower than that of natural turf in a direct comparison.

Problematical microplastic Artificial turf with infill is a source of microplastic, which is discharged from the pitch and thus finds its way into the environment of the artificial turf pitch and into the wastewater. Granulate infill specifically from recycled car tyres contains environmentally harmful substances in the form of heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. From an environmental point of view, artificial turf with infill is therefore not recommended. The City of Zurich has already decided not to install such artificial turf any more. sb 2/2021

Efficient usage is key The greatest potential for reducing the environmental impact of turf pitches in the City of Zurich lies in optimising their use. If sports pitches are used more intensively, then less new acreage needs to be claimed for additional facilities. Other approaches include switching from mowing to mulching to reduce the demand for fertiliser and using electrified robotic mowers instead of diesel-powered lawnmowers. However, it is not only infrastructure operators who are called upon to make sport more sustainable with a low ecological footprint, but also athletes themselves, for example, by choosing environmentally friendly means of transport to get to the sports ground.

Interested?

The complete study in German is available in the ZHAW Digital Collection: https://bit.ly/39s6br2 Executive summary in English: https://bit.ly/3d3MQi9 In addition, a performance indicator model is avail­ able that allows key parameters such as the annual hours of use to be adjusted in favour of an individual life cycle assessment for a specific turf pitch: https://bit.ly/3sCNbxT

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INNOVATION FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE ECOCEPT® – WEITZEL SPORTSTÄTTENBAU’S GRANULATE MATERIAL MADE FROM RECYCLED ARTIFICIAL TURF Author Photos

H.-J. Weitzel GmbH & Co. KG, DE – 25436 Tornesch, www.hjweitzel.de (www.wirbauensport.de) H.-J. Weitzel GmbH & Co. KG, GBN AGR

In view of the debate about microplastics, sustainability and carbon emissions, sports facility opera­ tors are faced with the problem of how to dispose of artificial turf at the end of its service life. The call is for sustainable and modern systems with a long service life that do not pollute the environment at the end of their service life and are amenable to environmentally friendly disposal. Weitzel Sportstättenbau from Tornesch has come up with an innovative solution that gives artificial turf a new lease of life.

In the summer of 2020, in cooperation with leading artificial turf manufacturers, a new type of recycling plant for artificial turf was built in the Netherlands under the name of GBN AGR (Artificial Grass Recycling). The aim of this cooperation was to find a joint solution for the environmentally friendly disposal of artificial turf surfaces at the end of their service life.

The recycling plant processes old artificial turf mats into three raw materials. These recycled materials are then used as tested secondary raw materials for a wide variety of applications in industry. On the principle of the circular economy, they can be fed directly back into the production and installation of new artificial turf systems. The washed or cleaned sand, for example, can be used as infill for new artificial turf pitches. Most of the cleaned synthetic infill granu­ late finds its way into industry for the production of industrial floors or as panels for green roofs, for example. The third product to be obtained in addition to sand and synthetic infill granulate is RTA (Recycled Turf Agglomerate), which is processed into new and innovative Ecocept® granulate material.

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From the artificial turf pitch to the circular economy The RTA from Ecocept® is particularly well suited for use in the formulation of elastic base layers in the overall artificial turf system. “By using Ecocept®, up to ten end-of-life artificial turf pitches can be processed in a new system,” says Weitzel Sportstättenbau Managing Director Joachim Weitzel. In addition, up to 190 tonnes of carbon emissions can be saved per Ecocept® pitch, which is roughly equivalent to offsetting the carbon emissions of 112 trees or the carbon output of an average-sized car over 22 years. At the end of its long life, Ecocept® can also be regranulated and reprocessed to extend the life cycles of the system and thus create a sustainable closed-cycle solution.

Ecocept® already tested in use in Germany The recycled material produced by GBN in the Netherlands has already been successfully installed in Germany. For example, the Tornesch-based company Weitzel Sportstättenbau has applied the RTA granulate as an elastic layer to an unbound base layer in sb 2/2021

RECYCLING PROCESS FOR ARTIFICIAL TURF

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End-of-life-Artificial turf rolled up on site

Cycle Sand

Rolled up mats are transported by truck to GBN AGR

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Cycle Infill material

Once arrived at our place, the mats are stored separately following their varieties

Cycle Agglomerate

5 Circular raw materials

A B

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Oelixdorf. Consisting of recycled SBR and recycled artificial turf, it is made almost entirely of previously used materials. The almost closed recycling loop reduces the environmental impact and improves the carbon footprint of an artificial turf pitch enormously.

In in-house laboratory tests, the experienced em­ployees of sports facility builder Weitzel Sportstättenbau have succeeded in producing a mix of Ecocept® RTA, SBR and binder that dispenses with the otherwise necessary mineral. This not only saves limited resources, but also simplifies recycling, which was previously hampered by mineral additives.

Suitability already proven Because Ecocept® behaves differently in the mixing process, the machines have had to be modified, but Weitzel Sportstättenbau’s technicians have mastered this challenge without any problems, ensuring efficient and high-quality processing. sb 2/2021

Processing of End-of-life-Artificial turf to circular raw materials

All the requirements of DIN 18035-7:2019-12, Table 10 – such as force dissipation, water infiltration and strength – have been successfully confirmed in tests.

The innovative design, consisting of a pure mix of elastomers, had existed for decades in previous standards and had been successfully implemented by Weitzel Sportstättenbau.

“Sustainability is the order of the day – and our industry is no exception,” says company boss Weitzel. “By focusing on recyclable materials, we are playing a pio­ neering role in Germany.” Now the company wants to concentrate on further consolidating this trailblazing sustainable technology on the market in the German-speaking region.

To further build on its pioneering role in the market, the Weitzel Sportstättenbau workforce is working flat out on further innovations to make the artificial turf system fully recyclable, microplastic-free and carbon-neutral.

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NEW “PISTE MAGIQUE“ FOR TRACK AND FIELD ATHLETES LETZIGRUND STADIUM IN ZURICH IN THE FAST LANE Author Photos

Conica AG, CH – 8207 Schaffhausen , www.conica.com Conica AG

The Letzigrund Stadium in Zurich is used by the football clubs “FC Zürich” and “GC Zürich” as well as by the “Leichtathletik Club Zürich“ athletics club. An annual highlight is the “Weltklasse Zürich” athletics meeting, where the world’s best track and field athletes compete. With a view to hosting the Wanda Diamond League finals, the track will be upgraded to the latest technology and completely renewed in 2021. The high-tech Conipur Vmax material from the Swiss company Conica AG will be laid over a total area of 7,600 m2. In 2020, Joshua Cheptegei from Uganda broke the 16-yearold world record over 5,000 metres on this material at the Stade Louis II in Monaco.

Modern athletics is enormously dynamic. It demands the utmost from athletes in terms of training programmes, nutrition and behaviour. The same applies to the materials used, be it sports equipment or the surfaces on which the sport is played. In order to meet these high demands, the decision was made to use Conica track technology at the Letzigrund Stadium in 2021, just as in 2006 and 2014 (retop).

The stadium, built in 1925, was dismantled in 2006 to make way for a new building, which was inaugurated in summer 2007. Even then, Conica had installed the athletics running tracks. Now, after 14 years, including one retop, the running surfaces are due for renewal.

This is because the major event “Weltklasse Zürich” is scheduled for 9-10 September 2021, at which track and field athletes from all over the world will compete.

So far, 25 world records have been set at this event.

Innovation driver for over 40 years Conica has been one of the market leaders and innovation drivers in its segment for over 40 years. The company develops and produces jointless floor coverings based on polyurethane and epoxy resins for sports, games, leisure and other areas. The materi54

als are designed for technical and sport functional performance as well as usability while guaranteeing health aspects. The athlete is at the centre of research and development and is involved in it. Every year, the company installs around 200 running tracks worldwide.

Dino Frassetto, head of department at WALO Bertschinger, the company based in Dietikon (Switzerland), which will carry out the installation: “The total area is 7,600 m2, of which 6,300 m2 are running tracks and 1,300 m2 are service areas. The competition areas will be coloured in brick red and the service areas in oxide red.”

Vmax provides more speed The Vmax track supports sprinters in their movement.

It is important for the athlete’s running sensation and performance that the track is not too soft or too hard. Too soft would absorb too much energy; too hard, on the other hand, does not develop enough catapult effect and leads more easily to injuries. The prerequisite for optimum hardness is the two-layer construction of the track with top and base layers.

These are not laid, but cast. sb 2/2021

Claudia Rietschle from Conica, Product Manager Sports Flooring: “The top layer has a viscoplastic (stiff) surface.

This ensures that the athlete’s energy is directed in the right direction. Underneath is the base layer. Its function is to have a force-stabilising effect. It hardly absorbs any energy, but returns it directly to the athlete with the help of compression. This results in a fast and defined forward movement. This leads to lower energy consumption in the start & sprint phase and enables the sprinter to achieve maximum running performance all the way to the finish.” Conica believes that thanks to Vmax, the speed of sprinters can be increased by up to ten percent. This has been shown in studies conducted in cooperation with the German Sport University Cologne.

Another advantage of the Vmax running track is its stabil­ ity with low deformation. This protects the musculoskeletal system and enables the athletes to run in a stable manner an important factor in competition in close proximity to the competitors, for example, to help avoid stumbles or falls on contact.

It should be added that Conica has chosen a differentiated system design that distinguishes between the acceleration phase at the start and the holding phase at the sprint. This probably achieves the currently fastest possible setting of a running track system on the short distance (100 m).

Running track test at German Sport University Cologne Dr Steffen Willwacher works at the Institute for Biomechanics and Orthopaedics at the German Sport University Cologne and has tested Vmax. He comes to the following sb 2/2021

conclusion: “Both from our applied material tests and from the biomechanical tests we conducted with a top athlete, we found that the Vmax running track offers a condition that makes it possible to run fast – especially in the acceleration phase. Runners can apply horizontal forces better on Vmax, thereby increasing speed faster and ultimately achieving higher speeds.”

Vmax has undergone all the necessary technical testing and certification: IAAF certification, EN 14877, DIN 18035, ASTM 2157, as well as biomechanical tests at the German Sport University Cologne (certification reference project Class I, II).

Records without end The world record set by Joshua Cheptegei from Uganda in 2020 at the Stade Louis II in Monaco, where the Conica material Conipur Vmax is also used, showed how fast the new track is. He broke the world record over the 5,000 m distance, which had stood for 16 years, with a time of 12:35.36 minutes. Since the reopening of the track, other top performances and records have been achieved: eleven world top performances, nine national records, three regional records, two Diamond League records and three Herculis Monaco records.

Christoph Joho, Co-Meeting Director Weltklasse Zürich: “We are very much looking forward to being able to compete live again in September. The ‘Piste Magique’ at the Letzigrund Stadium is legendary. Conica ensures us more magical track and field evenings with their latest product, in line with our philosophy ‘Never stop getting better!’.”

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INNOVATION IN NATURAL INFILLS FOR ARTIFICIAL TURF FIELDS ORGANIC INFILL RANGE BY AMORIM SPORTS WITH CORK AND OLIVE PIT Author and photos

Amorim Sports Lda., PT – 4535-186 Mozelos, www.amorim-sports.com

Artificial infills have been the subject of repeated discussions in recent years. In addition to initial uncertainties about health risks, it is currently rather the Europe-wide discussion about avoiding microplastics. The entire industry is changing and is looking for sustainable, natural and resource-saving solutions, while, at the same time, it is mandatory to maintain optimal playing conditions on artificial turf pitches. Amorim Sports core business aims to develop solutions that meet this goal.

Cork infill is already well known and has proven itself worldwide. Cork consists of a honeycomb structure, including thousands of microscopic cells, filled by an air-like gas and coated primarily by suberin and lignin. Suberin is the element that makes the cork impermeable to liquids and gases, allowing it to age without deteriorating.

New products, new markets, new applications, and creating an added value for cork and its characteristics are the development drivers of Amorim’s “i.cork Factory”. Founded in 2018, it responds to the growing process of creation. The focus is the combination of cork with other materials with a natural and sustainable background, in response to current market trends and needs.

Organic infill range The new infill granules resulting from this development provide an optimal solution for the above-mentioned topics.

As a mixture of cork and olive pit, synthetic cross-linking can be completely dispensed. Both cork and the olive pit components originate from a sustainable and natural recy56

cling economy. Both have their background from the food industry and leave no doubt as to their harmlessness to the environment and humans.

The combination of cork and olive pits creates interesting sport-functional properties. While the infill itself, in contrast to pure sand-filled systems, keeps the turf system in optimal playing properties over the long term, the infill layer ensures a more optimal gaming experience for the player. While the olive core component ensures the necessary stability in the system, the cork component contributes to the reduction of force and the playing comfort thanks to its natural elasticity.

The size distribution, as well as the infill shape, are optimized to minimize the discharge from the system and the maintenance effort.

Organic infills can be selected in different versions (201, 202 and 203) with different elasticity according to the cork content. In contrast to other natural infill materials, organic range is weather-resistant, rot-resistant and ensures constant playing conditions over a long period. sb 2/2021

Photo: Gerflor

Photo: REGUPOL

PROFESSIONALS & PROFILES

NEW MULTI-SPORTS HALL IN FINSING

FAST TEAM, FAST TRACK

Since the existing sports hall was too small and no longer up to date, the municipality of Finsing decided to build a new double-and-a-half-sized hall for the around 475 students of the local elementary and middle school as well as local clubs and sports groups. During a construction period of only 15 months, a multi-purpose hall with state-of-the-art equipment, probably unique in the region, was built to a design by architect Markus Heilmaier (Erding).

The establishment of Top Team Thuringia will give young athletes from all over Thuringia sporting prospects in their home region. Since Erfurt has the best training and competition facilities – equipped by REGUPOL – it was only natural that cooperation should continue even more closely in the future. Ambassadors of this cooperation are the top sprinter Julian Wagner and his coach Tobias Schneider.

When it came to the flooring for the interior design of the hall, the choice fell on the elastic linoleum sports floor DLW Colorette from Gerflor. This durable “all-rounder” is characterized by excellent sliding behavior as well as a non-slip, matt surface. The excellent residual indentation of ≤ 0.20 mm also withstands point loads from mat carts, equipment or mobile stands. In addition, the sports flooring meets every requirement of the DIN 18032 and EN 14904 sports standards. An added plus is that the “Elephant Grey” colour selected, in combination with the discreetly structured design, conceals traces of use – so the floor looks “like new” over the long term, even with intensive use.

Last but not least, the easy-care flooring solution is also convincing in terms of sustainability: DLW Colorette is made from 98 % organic and mineral raw materials and has a recycled content of up to 40 %.

In Finsing, Gerflor was once again able to demonstrate its decades of expertise as the world’s leading manufacturer in the field of resilient sports flooring. In addition to its linoleum sports flooring marketed under the DLW Sport brand, the company also shows off with its top-quality, point elastic Taraflex brand of vinyl sports flooring. The range is rounded off by the fully resilient sport court “PowerGame+” outdoor tiles for outdoor playing surfaces.

Gerflor Mipolam GmbH www.gerflor.de sb 2/2021

Top Team Thuringia brings together the best athletes in Thu­ ringia in ideal training conditions, under the leadership of the Thuringian Athletics Association. This elite athlete training on REGUPOL continues the great work of the LAC Erfurt Top Team. The goals remain unchanged. All leading Thuringian athletes are to be able to train and perform on a single site. Encouraging the next generation is just as important, and young athletes are to be encouraged to stay in Thuringia rather than go elsewhere. Appropriate sporting and economic conditions have thus been created and improved.

The two most important sports facilities in Erfurt, especially for competitive sports, are the Steigerwaldstadion and the Hartwig-Gauder-Halle (photo). One reason why these two venues are so popular is because they are equipped with fast REGUPOL running tracks. REGUPOL is a third-generation family company based in Bad Berleburg that has installed all kinds of sports surfaces in well over 100 countries since 1954. REGUPOL has been supporting sport in Thuringia for many years and especially the Erfurt Indoor annual athletics meeting in the Hartwig-Gauder-Halle. It is therefore a matter dear to REGUPOL‘s heart to support the ambitions of the new top team Thuringia.

REGUPOL BSW GmbH www.regupol.de 57

Photo: AST

Photo: Dr. Schutz

PROFESSIONALS & PROFILES

RENOVATING OF THE KARLSCHULE IN BONN

WERNER-RITTBERGER-ARENA IN KREFELD

Due to constant use, the sports floor of the Karlschule primary school in Bonn was showing signs of serious wear and tear after just a few years. The lines and courts were no longer clearly visible, and regular cleaning had become increasingly difficult and costly. In addition, shoe and scuff marks had become irrevocably burned into the surface.

Before the 2016/2017 ice season, an inspection of the equipment of the Werner-Rittberger-Arena revealed problems with the ammonia cooling pipes in the concrete. As a result, operation of the ice rink’s old system had to be stopped.

Like many other municipalities and organisations, the city council and the school itself wanted the floor to be refurbished but were unable to carry out a complete replacement due to budgetary constraints. With the Sport Floor System, however, it has been possible to restore the sports hall to an as-new condition without exceeding the budget.

The renovation approach of AST, which won the international tender from the city of Krefeld, proved to be the most economically attractive and energy-efficient solution. The temporary AST EPDM classic ice rink was installed on the existing concrete floor together with the brand-new, energy-reducing AST ProSport Dynamic boarding system. Costly and time-consuming reconstruction or preparation work in the hall was not necessary.

The floor had become unsightly, scratched and no longer safe to use – a typical situation in many sports halls. To begin with, the floor was cleaned thoroughly and the old layers of care agent were removed. Then the court colours and lines selected by the school were applied. The lines were then lastingly protected from fading and wear by a transparent top coat. “Thanks to the customised design options, we were able to modify our original lines and courts, so we can now teach our pupils new sports,” says Alexander Katzer, deputy headmaster and games teacher. Logos and symbols, such as club and school crests, are real eye-catchers in modern sports halls in addition to court markings. In the case of the Karlschule in Bonn, the school mascot “Charlie”, a smiling child wearing a crown, was placed in the centre circle. “Having Charlie as the centrepiece of our hall is very special for our children,” headmaster Tobias Hillebrand reports. “No other school in the city has anything like it.”

The technology required for cooling is housed in a separate system outside the hall building. The refrigerant is supplied by a highly efficient refrigeration machine, which is installed on a mobile tubular frame, runs very quietly and is also enclosed in sound insulation.

Dr. Schutz GmbH www.dr-schutz.com

AST Eis- und Solartechnik GmbH www.ast.at

58

The glycol-water mixture is fed into the EPDM mats via pipes and supplies the entire ice surface with energy-optimised cooling. The system has a modular structure and can, if necessary, be dismantled and reassembled at a different location.

The AST ProSport Dynamic ice hockey boards with acrylic spectator protection, and the player and penalty benches naturally comply with the current rules of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF).

sb 2/2021

Photo: GEZOLAN

Photo: BLOACS

URBAN SLACKLINING

GEZOLAN AG OPENS NEW WAREHOUSE

Slacklining involves balancing on flat webbing up to 5 cm wide. This trend sport is so popular because, in addition to balance, it also promotes concentration and coordination. Balancing on the wobbly bands is also fun at any age. Thanks to the standardization of the slackline system, slacklines are now conquering our cities – as seating and sports equipment in one. Behind the standardisation of Urban Slacklining is BLOACS, a young and innovative provider of slackline systems from Cologne.

In response to market demands for enhanced logistics services, the producer of high-quality EPDM granules based in Dagmersellen, Switzerland, is about to open a new transshipment warehouse in Paderborn, Germany and is extending its decentralised warehousing and logistics infrastructure. Since 1 March 2021, GEZOLAN customers have been benefiting from shorter turnaround times, more flexible response options and faster delivery to any location in Central and Western Europe.

For the first time, BLOACS is bringing permanently usable slackline facilities into the urban environment and thus provides the necessary infrastructure for Urban Slacklining. The slackline facilities are easy to install and maintain, accessible to everyone and can be used all year round. They consist of two foundation stones and the BLOACS slackline band. This is the only one on the market that cannot be cut and is flame retardant. This makes it vandal-proof and ideally suited for permanent use in public spaces. The two stones are both anchor points and benches. This is extremely practical, because in many cities the classic use of trees as anchor points is prohibited. Slacklines 3 to 6 m long are possible and the maximum construction height is 60 cm. Fall protection measures are therefore not necessary.

In Paderborn, GEZOLAN will store EPDM rubber granules of the GEZOFLEX product range in all standard colours and the standard granule size (1-4 mm), as well as colours in grain sizes 1-3 mm and 0.5-1.5 mm, tailored to customers’ needs.

Furthermore, the new facility will enable GEZOLAN to cater flexibly for specific customer requirements. GEZOLAN has succeeded in winning over the full-service logistics provider Hartmann International as a partner in this project.

In the design of sports and leisure facilities in the city, the symbiosis between sporting incentive and quality of stay with low space requirements is becoming increasingly important.

Urban slacklining is an important element in making not only our playgrounds and playing fields, but also urban squares and areas as versatile and attractive as possible. Urban Slacklining is bringing a low-threshold and attractive form of ­exercise to people in the city.

BLOACS www.bloacs.de sb 2/2021

“It is important to point out that production remains in Switzerland. But the new warehouse strengthens our presence in the EU market and brings us closer to the key markets in Central, Western and Northern Europe where many of our strategically important customers are located,” says Michael Karpe, Corporate Sales Director, explaining the strategic motivation for the new warehouse location. The added value for customers lies in the import and customs clearance that has already been done, so that deliveries can be carried out faster and flexibly from now on.

The new warehouse thus demonstrates once more ­GEZOLAN’s commitment to quality and customer satisfaction. With the new warehousing facility, the company will be perfectly positioned for further growth in a highly d ­ ynamic market.

GEZOLAN AG www.gezolan.com 59

Photo: SMG

Photo: Thorn Lighting

PROFESSIONALS & PROFILES

SUCCESSFUL OPENING OF THE NEW SEASON

POWERFUL FLOODLIGHTING SYSTEM

Anyone who wants to achieve the best possible initial care of their artificial before the start of the season is in the best hands with SMG. As the leading manufacturer of ride-on machines, tractor attachments and tow-behind devices for the maintenance of artificial turf, we provide 360-degree support in terms of technology and 100 per cent expertise to our users. For decades, SMG has set the standards in the development and production of machines for the installation of synthetic sports surfaces. This global practical experience has resulted in the development of our own machine series for artificial turf maintenance. Graded maintenance is the key, so we break the process down into regular and advanced maintenance.

Zumtobel is well known in Switzerland and beyond for high-quality lighting solutions and expert advice. Thanks to our subsidiary Thorn, the range also includes innovative and powerful outdoor lighting. Outdoor customers can thus enjoy the comprehensive services offered by Z­ umtobel Licht AG for both indoor and outdoor lighting needs. For example, the soccer club “FC Lengnau” in Berne was looking for a comprehensive future-proof solution for its football pitch.

Regular maintenance The maintenance in this area can usually be done by a groundskeeper himself as part of their weekly routine using an existing towing vehicle. In addition to the visual inspection of lines and seams, the main tasks are surface cleaning, the return of infill granules and the brushing of the artificial turf fibers of the pitch. SMG attachments make these tasks much easier.

Advanced maintenance (intensive care) The more intensive maintenance at longer intervals require machines usually beyond the scope of clubs or private individuals. The work steps are complex and are therefore often outsourced to specialist companies. Intensive care for artificial turf includes loosening, deep cleaning and refilling of infill material during the season break, seasonal care and the treatment against algae and moss. Whatever the situation is on site – whether on playing fields or running tracks, the SMG specialists have the solution. They are happy to provide advice, demonstrations, test phases, information on subsidies and leasing, and financing or hire purchase.

SMG Sportplatzmaschinenbau GmbH www.smg-gmbh.de 60

For optimal playing and training conditions, the outdated HIT system of the 2nd division pitch was modernised with LED floodlights. A separate training pitch, which used to be unlit, was also given a customised lighting system. The Altis spotlight from Thorn was used for both fields. Thanks to its modular optics, the light can be adapted precisely to the environment, in this case the football pitch. The modules can be tilted individually and it is also possible to reduce the number of luminaires. In Lengnau, 12 spotlights with 130,000 and 87,000 lumen each are already sufficient for excellent results on the main and ancillary pitches. Glare and light pollution are very low thanks to the asymmetrically forward-focused light.

Zumtobel Licht AG and its Thorn sports lighting specialists handled the complete project management and took care of luminaire configuration, standard-compliant lighting design and light measurement. The delivery and installation of the 14 and 16 m tall mast luminaires was done by the partner company Sportlights and Swiss Helicopter. The installation was completed in just 4 days – and a short 2-minute video was produced to summarise this project. The QR code takes you directly to the video on YouTube.

Zumtobel Licht AG www.zumtobel.com sb 2/2021

Photo: Avant

Photos: MASZ and CONICA

COOPERATION AGREEMENT

“HILO“ SEATING SERIES

The Swiss company Conica is one of the world‘s leading suppliers of athletics running tracks. Now the company has negotiated a cooperation agreement with the Hungarian Athletics Federation. Both parties want to benefit from their respective know-how and experience. First and foremost, the track producer and the federation aim to cooperate in the field of athletics track research and development. The aim is to equip selected stadiums in Hungary with state-of-the-art running tracks in time for the 19th World Athletics ­Championships in 2023.

In sports stadiums used for hosting international events, the stadium’s functional areas can be divided in most cases into the normal seating area, VIP seating area, box area, media seating area, and wheelchair area. There is a trend these days to use seats in the same style for different functional areas. The “Hilo” seating series has been developed accordingly to meet the needs of large stadiums. As a set of excellent seats, the “Hilo” series has more than 20 different types of products. It complies with FIFA standards and has obtained FIBA approval. In addition, the “Hilo” seating series has passed the EN12727-4 mechanical test and can be used at all indoor and outdoor venues.

Miklos Gyulai (photo left), President of the Hungarian Athletics Association, is looking forward to cooperation: “ ­ Conica as a company is an absolute expert in the area of running tracks. It has been proven often enough that athletes perform at their best on a Conica surface – most recently when Joshua Cheptegei broke the world record over 5,000 meters on a CONIPUR Vmax track at the Herculis Diamond League Meeting in Monaco in 2020. The quality of the material is easy on athletes’ foot and leg muscles, and the technology is designed to make them faster. We, as host of the 2023 World Championships, are very happy and grateful that ­Conica has joined us as a supporter,” says Gyulai.

“On the part of Conica, we are pleased to have entered into another partnership with a large and successful athletics association. Getting feedback from athletes and coaches directly from the running track is of tremendous importance for our R&D. We look forward to a long-term and fruitful collaboration,” said Julio Fernando Fadel, Head of Marketing & Communication (photo right). Conica has been developing and producing innovative seamless flooring solutions based on polyurethane and epoxy resins for sports, games, leisure and other sectors for over 40 years.

Conica AG www.conica.com sb 2/2021

The foremost feature of the “Hilo” series is its large variety of materials and installation methods to choose from to precisely and effectively meet the differentiated needs of venue owners. In terms of materials, we have the most widely used HDPE and PP materials for blow and injection moulding. If you need to upgrade to VIP for a specific seating area, you can choose high-end upholstered seats both outdoors and indoors. In the meantime, to suit the space available on site, we can provide installation methods such as front-fixed, beam mounted, independently mounted, folding, and portable, and rear-fixed seating for telescopic stands. This effectively reduces installation time and makes subsequent maintenance and replacement easier. The seat’s reduced thickness when folded increases the width of the passage. In addition, various types of seats in the “Hilo” series can also be equipped with such accessories as armrests, cup holders, billboards, and seat numbers, which further expand your range of choices. “Hilo” seats have been used at such major events and venues as the European Handball Championship, the Olympic Sports Centre, and a rugby club in the United States.

Avant Sports Industrial Co.,Ltd www.avantseating.com 61

Photo: SchmitzFoam

Photo: BETONLANDSCHAFTEN

PROFESSIONALS & PROFILES

HOW SCHMITZ STAYS AHEAD

SPORTS AND LEISURE PARK DORTMUND

On 1 March, Schmitz introduced a new central department: Quality & Development, led by CTO Ron Moors. Now the company will be able to anticipate even better the ever-changing artifical turf market. Over the years, Schmitz has developed into a well-known and respected shock pad producer for the global synthetic turf market. This market, which is the biggest sales market for Schmitz, is constantly evolving.

Moors: “Every day we hear of new systems, like non-infill and alternative infills, and with the current microplastics discussion these new systems will evolve at an even faster pace.

Therefore, it is only logical for us as a leading shock pad producer to anticipate these changes.”

The project is being built in an existing park / leisure facility in Dortmund-Hombruch. On a ground area of around 20,000 m², one of the largest multifunctional sports facilities in Germany and even in Europe will be completed by summer 2022. All the sports areas have been designed so that they can be used by beginners and professionals and for all sports (BMX, skateboards, scooters, inline skates, roller skates, MTB wheelchairs, etc.) without anyone being excluded. Special attention has been paid to making many sports elements/ obstacles accessible and usable with a wheelchair. The sports elements/obstacles in the different skate park areas are graded to encourage the progressive learning of new tricks, with similar obstacles but different heights and lengths.

In addition to these changes, there are also new demands from sport associations on the national and international levels. Whether it’s the new standard of the Dutch Football Association (KNVB) or World Rugby that now allows artificial turf with a fibre length of just 50mm, the demands of the industry are always increasing. With these changing standards from customers, it is important for producers to anticipate and meet these expectations. The market simply expects to receive a system that meets these ever-changing demands.

Of growing importance in the artificial turf market is recycling. “This is a development that we at Schmitz applaud loudly, since recycling is in our DNA and plays a role in all our developments. It is with good reason that we at Schmitz, with years of knowledge and experience, are at the forefront of this trend.” Schmitz opened a second production facility in 2017 in Coldwater, Michigan, US, and since the end of 2019 the company has also been producing a ‘hybrid’ shock pad, which combines recycled and virgin foam. Moors calls this “The best of both worlds”. In line with these developments, Schmitz will also launch its own foam production in the N ­ etherlands in 2021.

Schmitz Foam Products www.schmitzfoam.com 62

In terms of use, the park is divided into different areas: • Bowl (flat): beginner and intermediate level • Bowl (low): intermediate and professional level • Snake run (a kind of bowl): beginner, intermediate and ­professional • Skate plaza: beginner, intermediate and professional • Pump track: beginner, intermediate and professional • Running bike track: beginner level • Climbing wall • Multifunctional field • Calisthenics / parkour • Stairs • Green and recreational spaces In terms of the architectural language of the project, we sought to pay homage to Dortmund‘s cultural identity, heavy industry and mining. This homage can be read in the choice of materials and colours (brick and dark metal) and also in their use to create sculptural barriers. maier landschaftsarchitektur / Betonlandschaften www.betonlandschaften.de sb 2/2021

COMPANY INDEX FROM A TO Z IAKS member companies go one step ahead with „Professionals & Profiles“. And position themselves prominently – in print and online. Report on your ­innovations and references in sb magazine and the IAKS newsletter and on our website. It goes without saying that your architect or supplier logo appears in every issue – and is sure to catch the eye of your business partners.

ACO Severin Ahlmann GmbH & Co. KG 24755 Rendsburg, Germany info@aco-online.de www.aco.com

» Drainage systems » Sports ground construction » Sports ground equipment

ANRIN GmbH 59609 Anröchte, Germany info@anrin.com www.anrin.com

» Drainage systems » Sports ground construction » Sports ground equipment

ASB GlassFloor Systembau Horst Babinsky GmbH 83371 Stein, Germany info@asbglassfloor.com www.asbglassfloor.com

» Indoor sports floorings » Mobile floorings, cover systems » Multi-sport courts

sb 2/2021

AGROB BUCHTAL Deutsche Steinzeug Keramik GmbH 92521 Schwarzenfeld, Germany agrob-buchtal@deutsche-steinzeug.de www.agrob-buchtal.de

» Aquatic construction » Pool construction; ceramics

Sekisui Alveo AG 6043 Adligenswil, Switzerland info@alveosport.com www.alveosport.com

» » » » »

Anti Wave International Pty Ltd QLD 4067 Brisbane, Australia anti@anti.to www.anti.to

» Aquatic construction » Aquatic equipment

Arbeitskreis Trennvorhänge e.V 42327 Wuppertal, Germany info@arbeitskreis-trennvorhaenge.de www.arbeitskreis-trennvorhaenge.de

» Indoor equipment » Sports hall dividers

AST Eissport und Solaranlagenbau GmbH 87629 Füssen, Germany hannes.schretter@ast.at www.ast.at

ASPG Deutschland GmbH 40221 Düsseldorf, Germany info@D-aspg.de www.D-aspg.de

» Indoor equipment » Indoor sports floorings » Mobile floorings, cover systems

Artifical turf Elastic layers; protecting surfaces Indoor sports floorings Outdoor sports floorings Sports ground construction

» » » » »

Aquatic equipment Ice hockey boards Ice resurfacers Ice rink construction Ice sports equipment 63

PROFESSIONALS & PROFILES

Avant Sports Industrial Co.,Ltd 518108 ShenZhen, China sales@avant.com.cn www.avantseating.com

» Artificial turf » Multi-sport courts » Stands, seating

» » » »

BERNDORF Metall- und Bäderbau GmbH 2560 Berndorf, Austria office@berndorf-baederbau.com www.berndorf-baederbau.com

» Aquatic construction » Aquatic equipment » Pool construction, stainless steel

Dr. Schutz GmbH 53755 Bonn, Germany info@dr-schutz.com www.dr-schutz.com

» Cleaning and maintenance » Indoor sports floorings

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Elastic layers, protecting surfaces Indoor equipment Mobile floorings; cover systems Temporary and modular constructions

» » » » »

» » » »

Multi-sport courts Outdoor equipment Sports ground equipment Playground equipment

» Architecture and design » Landscape design

Conica AG 8207 Schaffhausen, Switzerland info@conica.com www.conica.com

Carl Stahl ARC GmbH 73079 Süßen, Germany xtend@carlstahl-arc.com www.carlstahl-architektur.com

» » » » »

Facades and building envelopes Perimeter boards, nettings Playground equipment Security systems, fencing Sports ground equipment

» Indoor sports floorings » Outdoor sports floorings » Sports ground construction

DSGN CONCEPTS UG 48155 Münster, Germany info@dsgn-concepts.de www.dsgn-concepts.de

» Landscape design

Aquatic equipment Fitness equipment Indoor equipment Outdoor equipment Sports ground equipment

Brinkmann + Deppen Architekten / Landschaftsarchitekten 48336 Sassenberg, Germany info@brinkmann-deppen.de www.brinkmann-deppen.de

BLOACS 50935 Cologne, Germany info@bloacs.de www.bloacs.de

campus GmbH Bauten für Bildung und Sport 72764 Reutlingen, Germany info@campus-architektur.de www.campus-architektur.de

» Architecture and design

Gotthilf Benz Turngerätefabrik GmbH+Co KG 71350 Winnenden, Germany info@benz-sport.de www.benz-sport.de

Bänfer GmbH 34537 Bad Wildungen, Germany info@baenfer.de www.baenfer.de

eccos pro gmbh 42553 Velbert, Germany info@eccos-pro.com www.eccos-pro.com

» » » » »

Aquatic equipment Changing rooms and equipment Fitness equipment Ice sports equipment Ticketing, access systems sb 2/2021

ENGO GmbH Srl 39040 Vahrn (BZ), Italy info@engo.it www.engo.it

» » » » »

Ice hockey boards Ice rink construction Ice resurfacers Ice sports equipment Mobile floorings, cover systems

EOLED EU 1130 Wien, Austria Telefon +43(0)1877 32970 info@eoled.eu www.eoled.eu

» Lighting systems

Eurotramp – Kurt Hack GmbH 73235 Weilheim / Teck, Germany eurotramp@eurotramp.com www.eurotramp.com

» » » »

Aquatic equipment Indoor equipment Playground equipment Sports ground equipment

Missing your entry?

Want to be part of our network?

geo3 GmbH 47551 Bedburg-Hau, Germany kontakt@geo3.de www.geo3.de

» Landscape design

GfKK – Gesellschaft für Kältetechnik- Klimatechnik mbH 50859 Köln, Germany info@gfkk.de www.gfkk.de

» » »

Ice rink construction Ice sports equipment Sanitary, heating, air conditioning, energy recovery

sb 2/2021

GANTNER Electronic GmbH Deutschland 44894 Bochum, Germany info-de@gantner.com www.gantner.com

» » » » »

Gerflor Mipolam GmbH 53824 Troisdorf, Germany gerflormipolam@gerflor.com www.gerflor.de

» Indoor sports floorings » Mobile floorings, cover systems

GEZOLAN AG 6252 Dagmersellen, Switzerland customer-service@gezolan.com www.gezolan.com

» » » » »

Gütegemeinschaft Sportgeräte 53113 Bonn, Germany info@sichere-sporthalle.de www.sichere-sporthalle.de

» Indoor equipment » Sports ground equipment » Testing, quality assurance

Aquatic equipment Changing rooms and equipment Fitness equipment Indoor equipment Ticketing, access systems

Artificial turf Elastic layers, protecting surfaces Multi-sport courts Outdoor sports floorings Sports ground construction

Hamberger Flooring GmbH & Co. KG 83071 Stephanskirchen, Germany info@hamberger.de www.hamberger.de

» » » »

Ceilings, windows, walls Indoor sports floorings Mobile floorings, cover systems Outdoor sports floorings

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PROFESSIONALS & PROFILES

Hauraton GmbH & Co. KG 76437 Rastatt, Germany info@hauraton.com www.hauraton.com

» Drainage systems » Sports ground construction

heiler GmbH & Co. KG 33649 Bielefeld, Germany info@heiler-sport.de www.heiler-sport.de

» » » » »

Geschäftsstelle INTERGREEN AG c/o Science to Business GmbH 49090 Osnabrück, Germany info@intergreen.de www.intergreen.de

» » » » »

Artificial turf Cleaning and maintenance Hybrid turf Natural turf Sports ground construction

Artificial turf Cleaning and maintenance Hybrid turf Natural turf Sports ground construction

Herculan BV 4231 DJ Meerkerk, Netherlands info@herculan.com www.herculan.com

» Indoor sports floorings » Multi-sport courts » Outdoor sports floorings

ISP GmbH 49196 Bad Laer, Germany info@isp-germany.com www.isp-germany.com

» Testing, quality assurance

ISS GmbH 63263 Neu-Isenburg, Germany info@iss4u.de www.iss4u.de

» » » » »

Aquatic equipment Ice hockey boards Ice rink construction Ice resurfacers Ice sports equipment

Bring yourself into conversation!

IST – Institut für Sportbodentechnik 04416 Markkleeberg, Germany mario-kunze@gmx.net www.sportboden-leipzig.de

» Testing, quality assurance

Jakob Rope Systems 3555 Trubschachen, Switzerland info@jakob.com www.jakob.com

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Ceilings, windows, walls Facades and building envelopes Perimeter boards, nettings Playground equipment Security systems, fencing

Keller Tersch GmbH 39218 Schönebeck, Germany info@kellertersch.de www.kellertersch.de

» » » » »

Artificial turf Cleaning and maintenance Hybrid turf Natural turf Sports ground construction

Andreas Kernig Building Consultant 48155 Münster, Germany info@andreaskernig.de www.andreaskernig.de

» Consulting

sb 2/2021

Hermann Kutter Landschaftsbau Sportplatzbau GmbH & Co. KG 87700 Memmingen, Germany info@kutter-galabau.de www.kutter-galabau.de

KRAIBURG Relastec GmbH & Co. KG 29410 Salzwedel, Germany sportec@kraiburg-relastec.com www.kraiburg-relastec.com/sportec

» » » »

Elastic layers, protecting surfaces Indoor sports floorings Outdoor sports floorings Playground equipment

Labor Lehmacher | Schneider GmbH & Co. KG 49076 Osnabrück, Germany info@labor-lehmacher.de www.l-l-s.de

» Testing, quality assurance

LIKE-ICE Science GmbH 84069 Schierling, Germany info@like-ice.com www.like-ice.com

» Ice hockey boards » Mobile floorings, cover systems » Outdoor sports floorings

» » » » »

Artificial turf Cleaning and maintenance Hybrid turf Natural turf Sports ground construction

Labosport International 72100 Le Mans, France contact@labosport.com www.labosport.com

» Testing, quality assurance

M3 Architectes 2737 Luxembourg, Luxembourg mail@m3archi.lu www.m3archi.lu

» Architecture and design

Herbert Labarre GmbH & Co. KG 22337 Hamburg, Germany info@labarre-galabau.de www.labarre-galabau.de

» » » » »

Artificial turf Cleaning and maintenance Hybrid turf Natural turf Sports ground construction

Landskate GmbH 50823 Köln, Germany info@lndskt.de www.lndskt.de

» Landscape design

maier landschaftsarchitektur / Betonlandschaften 51107 Köln, Germany info@maierlandschaftsarchitektur.de www.maierlandschaftsarchitektur.de

» Landscape design

Show your innovations and references! sb 2/2021

67

PROFESSIONALS & PROFILES

MYRTHA POOLS A&T Europe SPA 46043 Castiglione d/Stiviere (MN), Italy info@myrthapools.com www.myrthapools.com

Melos GmbH 49324 Melle, Germany info@melos-gmbh.com www.melos-gmbh.com

» » » »

Elastic layers, protecting surfaces Multi-sport courts Outdoor sports floorings Sports ground construction

» Aquatic construction » Pool construction, other systems » Pool construction, stainless steel

NUSSLI Group 8536 Hüttwilen, Switzerland information@nussli.com www.nussli.com

» » » » »

Sports hall construction Stadium and arena construction Stands, seating Temporary and modular constructions Turnkey construction

We‘re here to help: Thomas Kick, Marketing kick@iaks.sport Silke Bardenheuer, Member services bardenheuer@iaks.sport

Pellikaan Bauunternehmen Deutschland GmbH 40880 Ratingen, Germany info@pellikaan.de www.pellikaan.de

Planungsbüro Pätzold + Snowadsky 49078 Osnabrück, Germany info@ps-planung.de www.ps-planung.de

» Architecture and design » Landscape design

» » » »

Play-Parc Allwetter-Freizeitanlagenbau GmbH 33014 Bad Driburg, Germany info@playparc.de www.playparc.de

» » » » » 68

Fitness equipment Indoor equipment Multi-sport courts Outdoor equipment Sports ground equipment

Aquatic construction Aquatic equipment Sports hall construction Turnkey construction

PERROT-Regnerbau Calw GmbH 75382 Althengstett, Germany perrot@perrot.de www.perrot.de

» Irrigation systems

Polytan GmbH 86666 Burgheim, Germany info@polytan.com www.polytan.de

» » » » »

Artificial turf Cleaning and maintenance Elastic layers, protecting surfaces Outdoor sports floorings Sports ground construction

Porplastic Sportbau von Cramm GmbH 72108 Rottenburg a.N., Germany info@porplastic.de www.porplastic.de

» » » » »

Artificial turf Elastic layers, protecting surfaces Indoor sports floorings Outdoor sports floorings Sports ground construction sb 2/2021

Sika Nederland B.V. (Pulastic sports flooring) 7400 AK Deventer, Netherlands export@nl.sika.com www.pulastic.com

Schmitz Foam Products BV 6040 KG Roermond, Netherlands info@schmitzfoam.com www.schmitzfoam.com

» » » »

Artifical turf Elastic layers; protecting surfaces Outdoor sports floorings Sports ground construction

» » » »

RAUMKUNST ZT GMBH SPORTARCHITEKTUR 1070 Wien, Austria office@sportarchitektur.at www.sportarchitektur.at

» Architecture and design

REGUPOL BSW GmbH 57319 Bad Berleburg, Germany info@regupol.de www.regupol.com

» » » » »

» » » » »

Siteco Beleuchtungstechnik GmbH 83301 Traunreut, Germany info@siteco.de www.siteco.de

» Lighting systems

sb 2/2021

Elastic layers, protecting surfaces Indoor sports floorings Mobile floorings, cover systems Outdoor sports floorings Playground equipment

Signgrass® NIK-Tufting BV 5571 TJ Bergeijk, Netherlands info@signgrass.com www.signgrass.com

Shenzhen Huadian Lighting Co., Ltd 518108 Bao’an District, Shenzhen, China sales06@hd-leds.com www.hd-leds.com

» Lighting systems

Ceilings, windows, walls Indoor sports floorings Multi-sport courts Outdoor sports floorings

Artifical turf Multi-sport courts Outdoor sports floorings Sports ground construction Sports ground equipment

SMC2 S.A.S. 69440 Mornant, France contact@smc2-construction.com www.smc2-construction.com

» » » » »

Ceilings, windows, walls Facades and building envelopes Fixed and retractable roofing systems Temporary and modular constructions Turnkey construction

Punto design 156004 Nekrasovo, Russia info@puntodesignru.com www.puntodesignru.com

» Fitness equipment » Outdoor equipment » Sports ground equipment

RICHTER Sportstättenkonzepte GmbH 07629 Hermsdorf, Germany info@sportstaettenkonzepte.de www.sportstaettenkonzepte.de

» Landscape design

silence-lights. GmbH 64823 Groß-Umstadt, Germany info@silence-lights.de www.silence-lights.de

» Lighting systems

SMG Sportplatzmaschinenbau GmbH 89265 Vöhringen, Germany info@smg-gmbh.de www.smg-gmbh.de

» Cleaning and maintenance » Sports ground construction » Sports ground equipment

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PROFESSIONALS & PROFILES

Holz-Speckmann GmbH & Co. KG 33790 Halle/ Westfalen, Germany info@speed-lock.com www.speed-lock.com

» Elastic layers, protecting surfaces » Indoor sports floorings » Mobile floorings, cover systems

Spieth Gymnastics GmbH 73776 Altbach, Germany info@spieth-gymnastics.com www.spieth-gymnastics.com

» » » »

Elastic layers, protecting surfaces Indoor equipment Mobile floorings, cover systems Sports ground equipment

STARGUM Zakład Przemysłu Gumowego 73-110, Stargard Szczecinski, Poland office@stargum.pl www.stargum.pl

» » » » »

STOCKMEIER URETHANES GmbH & Co.KG 32657 Lemgo, Germany urethanes.ger@stockmeier.com www.stockmeier-urethanes.de

Tatamsport 50014 Zaragoza, Spain tatamsport@toldosserrano.com www.tatamsport.com

» Elastic layers, protecting surfaces » Indoor sports floorings » Outdoor sports floorings

» Indoor equipment » Sports hall dividers

Thorn Lighting 6850 Dornbirn, Austria info@thornlighting.com www.thornlighting.de

» Lighting systems

Universal Sport Sportgeräteherstellungs- und Vertriebs GmbH 71101 Schönaich, Germany info@universal-sport.com www.universal-sport.com

» » » » » 70

Ice sports equipment Indoor equipment Mobile floorings, cover systems Perimeter boards, nettings Sports ground equipment

Artificial turf Elastic layers, protecting surfaces Indoor sports floorings Multi-sport courts Outdoor sports floorings

Trenomat GmbH & Co. KG 42327 Wuppertal, Germany info@trenomat.de www.trenomat.de

» » » »

Indoor equipment Mobile floorings, cover systems Perimeter boards, nettings Sports hall dividers

TURNBAR by Eiden & Wagner 54634 Bitburg, Germany info@turnbar.net www.turnbar.net

» » » » »

Hans-Joachim Weitzel GmbH & Co. KG 25436 Tornesch, Germany schult@hjweitzel.de www.hjweitzel.de

Venuzle GmbH 8010 Graz, Austria hallo@venuzle.at www.manager.venuzle.com

» Digital solutions » Ticketing, access systems

Fitness equipment Indoor equipment Multi-sport courts Outdoor equipment Sports ground equipment

» » » » »

Artificial turf Elastic layers, protecting surfaces Multi-sport courts Outdoor sports floorings Sports ground construction sb 2/2021

WM GmbH 39053 Blumau, Italy info@wm-on-ice.com www.wm-on-ice.com

» Ice resurfacers

sb 2/2021

Züko Deutschland GmbH 78176 Blumberg, Germany deutschland@zueko.com www.zueko.com

ZELLER bäderbau GmbH 89520 Heidenheim, Germany info@zeller-baederbau.com www.zeller-baederbau.com

» Aquatic construction » Aquatic equipment » Pool construction, stainless steel

» » » » »

Changing rooms and equipment Ice hockey boards Ice resurfacers Ice rink construction Ice sports equipment

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IMPRINT

sb 2/2021

International magazine for sports, leisure and recreational ­facilities

Secretary General with overall responsibility Klaus Meinel meinel@iaks.sport

Editorial board and publisher IAKS International Association for Sports and Leisure Facilities Eupener Straße 70 50933 Cologne, Germany Phone +49 (0) 221 16 80 23- 0 Fax +49 (0) 221 16 80 23-23 sb@iaks.sport www.iaks.sport

“sb“ online Johannes Diekhans diekhans@iaks.sport Fon +49(0)221 168023-13

Editorial board and marketing Thomas Kick kick@iaks.sport Fon +49(0)221 168023-12

Subscriptions Valentina Bernhardt bernhardt@iaks.sport Fon +49(0)221 168023-14

Editorial board Silke Bardenheuer bardenheuer@iaks.sport Fon +49(0)221 168023-11

The publisher has unlimited rights to work accepted for printing.

Reprint or duplication, even of extracts, is only permitted with the publisher‘s written consent.

Subscription price €56 Germany €73 Other countries €12 Single issue ISSN (Print): 0036-102X ISSN (Internet): ISSN 2198-4271 Jurisdiction and place of performance: Cologne For advertisement prices, see the 2021 Media Data.

Translation/Editorial report Tim Chafer, ExperTeam Otto-Hahn-Str. 57, 40591 Düsseldorf, Germany Euro-Sprachendienst Jellen Rheinaustr. 125, 53225 Bonn, Germany www.euro-sprachendienst.de Print DFS Druck Brecher GmbH Rheinische Allee 5 50858 Köln, Germany www.dfs-pro.de 72

UPCOMING ISSUES Issue 3/2021 – Aquatic and wellness facilities

Photo: Atoll Achensee

Advertising deadline: 02.06.2021 Date of publication: 30.06.2021

Issue 4/2021 – Activating urban spaces

Photo: BOGL Dennis Lehmann

Advertising deadline: 04.08.2021 Date of publication: 31.08.2021 sb 2/2021

Use the knowledge of our worldwide network!

©

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a s Casp

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? g n i n i ou jo

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W sb 2/2021

t r o p s . s k a i . www

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With the world‘s first CO2 neutral football turf, the LigaTurf Cross GT , we now take the next step into a new era with more sustainable, biobased plastic products. We are proud to demonstrate what our Green Technology is already capable today.

o Techn n e e r G

po logy –

lyt

by Po d e r e w

an

More information about Green Technology: https://gt.polytan.com 74

sb 2/2021