The indoor court for pelota is located north of the village, next to the football field, in a sparsely developed area, reserved in the subsidiary regulations for such sports provision.
Three were the main starting conditions: tight budget; solar dimensional limitation; immediacy to the town that favors their use but poses a problem of scale.
The adopted solution addresses all these issues, trying to combine economy with high profitability of use. As for the location, it was decided to have the left wall parallel to the football field, as background for a possible grandstand, leaving between the pediment and houses a green space, a prelude of the game space from the street that leads to the Main Square of the village. This green space would be planted with grass, in continuity with the pool enclosure provided behind the facade. From the dimensional point of view, we opted for a short pediment with rebound, regulatory dimensions, the space beyond the pelota court expanded to house a sports court 18 x 36 meters.
The proximity to downtown built made the understanding of the pediment as structuring element of an urban space or public square, what it would be advisable an open pediment. The limitations of use imposed by the frequency of rain and the manifest desire of the City Hall to proceed in a future to cover the court, made to consider since the beginning a coating solution, ultimately perhaps the most interesting aspect of the project.
The matter was clear in the cross section. A cover that rises above the required height for the pelota game the entire width of the sport court would have caused an excessive impact because of the volume on the profile of the town, a problem common to many of the sports facilities built in rural areas; moreover, the height of the cover would required some lateral protection on the perimeter walls of the pediment, but the available budget prevented think of a full enclosure.
The proposed section, as a barrel vault, was an easily answer these questions, and setting up an attractive interior. Constructive resolution finally came from the hand of the economy.
The gable walls were built with precast concrete slabs; the cover is made with galvanized sheet 1.8 mm thick, pre-curved modules.
Between them eight bands of polyester sandwiched skylight. The open and airy gable condition made unnecessary isolation.
Project Details:
Location: Urroz-Villa sports area. Urroz, Navarre, Spain
Type: Sports
Architects: Tabuenca & Leache, Arquitectos – www.tabuenca-leache.com
Team: Fernando Tabuenca – Jesús Leache
Start date: 1990
Completion date: 1991
Photos: César San Millán and Luis Prieto
