NEW SPORTS HUB - CASTELFRANCO VENETO (Treviso)

Client:
Municipality of Castelfranco Veneto

Project:
Architetto Nicola Isetta
Architetto Paola Rebellato

Dimensions:
sports center and public swimming-pool gross floor area 5.000 m²
commercial spaces gross floor area 3000 m²
squares and pavings 9.000 m²
public car parking area 8.500 m²
park and sports field 25.700 m²

Schedule:
2016 competition (3rd prize)

 

The competition area is in a strategic position for the city of Castelfranco Veneto thanks to the proximity to the historical center and the good connection with the main roads at the same time.
Nonetheless the present condition does not exploit this potential. The fences bordering the public swimming pool, the park, the parish center and the sports field render the area fragmented, not-well-integrated and not-well-usable. Starting from these potential and problems the project is a deep intervention to redevelop and completely redesign the area.

The project layout is divided in three zones. The first is north side: the tennis fields and the outdated public swimming-pool are demolished to leave space to a new sports field which creates a green belt together with the existing public park along via Redipuglia. The sports hall designed in 1966 by Architect Angelo Tramontini and a new integrated sports center define the built central zone. The car-parking area in front of the sports hall is transformed in a pedestrian square with a fountain to complete the main square Piazza Giorgione. The south zone is divided in two. On the east part we have a new public car-parking area with 240 parking lots, on the west part takes place a new multi-functional paved area. Open air stage-seats to be used for outdoor events are integrated in a grassy hill which separates the multi-functional area from the public parking area, creating a quiet space facing the creek Muson. Along the creek will be completed the bicycle-path connecting the area to the regional naturalistic bicycle-paths network “Il sentiero degli Ezzelini”. The concept behind the new integrated sports center started from an architectural suggestion. The problem with the existing public swimming-pool is the exterior area: the fence around it creates an alienated space, fragmenting the area in an enclave, a non-place. Why not make this fence something else? Not a separating blind wall but something that keeps together and interact with the context. From here we developed the idea to raise the public swimming-pool with its exterior spaces and pools to a roof garden on the first floor, while the ground floor underneath houses other functions making what was a fence an architectural elevation. In this way we have on ground floor a sports and fitness center together with commercial activities like shops, restaurants and other. Mixing functions allows for a more continuous use of the area in order to avoid desertion hours and keeping it alive 24/7.