Majori Sport Hall

Although the structure of the object is concise, it has several conceptual layers that include symbolic, landscape, functional and architectonic aspects. The object has a relevant location because it is visible from all passings to Jurmala. The object is a significant accent in the city s overall landscape, and consequently its shape and siluet is especially important. For that reason, we looked for symbols typical for Jurmala and found amber-chrystalised resin of pine. Pine-trees up to 30m tall are typical for Jurmala and for most of Latvian sea coast, and amber may often be found washed ashore the sea coast. Although the structure of the object is concise, it has several conceptual layers that include symbolic, landscape, functional and architectonic aspects. The object has a relevant location because it is visible from all passings to Jurmala: the railway, the city's main street and the river that has live boat traffic with the capital of Latvia Riga. The object is an significant accent in the city's landscape, and consequently its shape and siluet is especially important. For that reason, we looked for symbols typical for Jurmala and found amber & chrystalised resin of pine. Pine-trees up to 30 m tall are typical for Jurmala and for most of Latvian sea coast, and amber may often be found washed ashore the sea coast.

It was important to integrate the object into the existing landscape by reducing its height. The variable hight of the shed is a peculiar compromise between the heights necessary for sports games (e.g. voleyball & 12 m) and the surrounding lowstorey buildings. The sloping surfaces on the sides of the shed are associated to the twosided slopes of nearby lowstorey buildings. As the object is large, it was important to create it light. It is characteristic to broadspan roof structures to have a mess of constructions and communications at the ceiling. We thought that it would look dramatic in a building with varying height and decided to leave the constructive frames outside and to lag the shed from inside. It resulted in a clear and dynamic interior, while the external openwork frames significantly reduced bulkiness of the building. The polycarbonat used in the building has a 60% transparency. At night it becomes an original screen of light accenting its shape in the city's landscape.

The weather in Latvia is very unstable and significantly affects the training process outdoors. Jurmala City Council contracted us to design a sports ground that may be used all year long in any weather. For that purpose, we constructed sports ground with a shed that opens to the river, and is closed towards the nearby railway. In warm season the sports ground floor has a syntetic covering suitable for athletics, basketball, volleyball and handball while in cold season it is turned into artificial ice ground for hockey and ice-skating.