The modern game of tennis originated in the United Kingdom in the late 19th century, known as „lawn tennis“. The sport was played outside. A covered tennis venue, though allowing play not subjected to outdoor weather conditions, should still provide similar qualities to the outdoor game with regard to light, openness and atmosphere.
The building consists of two parts: a sunken ‘nest’ of concrete walls, vertical or slightly angled, sheathing the court layout and a light wooden shell above, composed of short elements in a reciprocal structure. From an external perspective the boundaries between building and nature are blurred, fusing figure and ground, iconic hall and landscape.
Embedded into the landscape, the tennis venue becomes part of it, providing a new modulated horizon. Being sensitively placed and slightly depressed within the enclosing environment, the surface area is reduced. Shells are highly efficient structural forms using a minimum amount of material, reducing both structure and cladding. The proposed reciprocal system consists of short, CNCproduced elements that can be easily mounted and is clad by a highly efficient cladding material.
The entire building is organized as a landscape within itself - everything is easily visible and open. All technical spaces are positioned at the edges of the courts and covered by grass roofs as continuation of the landscape. The main roof itself is covered by a translucent membrane with north-oriented openings to provide a maximum amount of daylight and consistent light levels throughout. At night and during long winters the building will appear as a large, warm lantern.
Tennis is an exciting sport based on sophisticated techniques and simultaneous control of many different movements. Using a design strategy of similar simultaneous control of many parameters, our future tennis dome will be a sustainable and efficient landmark, providing an exciting backdrop for future tennis action.
