Conceived as a “Cathédrale des Sports” (cathedral of sports), the UCPA Sport Station in the Bordeaux Brazza district was designed by Paris-based architectural studio NP2F . Created as a transparent and open volume, the new sports facility is a dynamic destination for children and adults alike.
A large-scale construction program, the UCPA Sport Station Bordeaux covers a floor area of 15,741 square meters (169,435 square feet). Its design fits together a series of low-carbon concrete slabs, beams, and columns with no actual physical facade. A number of glazed and opaque spaces are incorporated for sports that require an indoor setting (such as racket sports). The concrete building blends with the surrounding urban fabric, its “superimposed outdoor spaces like streets,” says NP2F . Agricultural windbreaks protect users from drafts: “The whole complex 'breathes' naturally,” says the studio.
The sport station's built elements, including heating, air-conditioning, ventilation, and artificial lighting, have been reduced to a minimum in order to achieve the maximum gain in both lightness and cost. For example, just one-third of the building is heated. As a result, 900,000 kWh/year are saved — this adds up to a 56 percent reduction in consumption when compared with the same building designed as an enclosed structure. In terms of carbon, a saving of 2,270 tons of CO2, or 63 percent of CO2, is linked to construction.
In its design of the UCPA Sport Station Bordeaux, NP2F worked with a restrained palette of materials and colors, creating an “intentionally sober” building — a simple, low-carbon concrete structure that acts as a supportive platform for an array of sporting activities. Open staircases, landings, and walkways encourage movement around the building.
The sport station has six levels with spaces for a myriad of sports. In one volume, a climbing complex consists of a 14-meter (46-feet) wall, high line, and jump line. Other areas include Padel Tennis and squash, weightlifting and fitness, esports and golf-related activities (such as a practice driving range on the roof), and a restaurant and bar.
