Its white glass suggests ice, while its rounded angles follow the outline of the ice rink. From a bird’s eye view, its plan appears to resemble a hockey stick: the large L creates a vastforecourt with level access to the ice rink’s ambulatory, halfway up the tier. The building’s southern wing houses the aquatic complex, in which the children's pool slots under the ice rink’s raised seating. The slope of the terrain permits the layering of the programme: on the lower floor, the ice rink and the pool area (with logistical access, technical centres and parking); above, the public access level from the square; within the frame, the stage installations and ventilation.
The grouping of sports activities - ice rinks, swimming pools, fencing and table tennis - is driven by a concern for economy achieved by combining access, operating costs and infrastructure (e.g., warming the swimming pool with the heat generated by ice production). Flexibility is also emphasised, in particular the ice rink, which can be converted into a large performance hall. All the sports facilities (rooms, circulation spaces, security, climate, lighting, media, etc.) were designed in detail with the users, in particular to optimise the installations (cooling and heating, ventilation, electricity, etc.). Movement through the rational circulation system is sequenced by accents such as the large circular staircase or the views onto the ice rink.
Each programme benefits from generous views, in particular fromterraces facing the lake in the restaurant, VIP areas and sports clubs. With its immaculate façade, its generous square, its paths and large-scale views, the sports centre contributes to the creation of a new landscape in Malley, in the centre of the Lausanne agglomeration.
Team:
Architect: PONT12 architectes
Photography: Vincent Jendly
Material Used:
1. Facade cladding: Linit