Wenzel + Wenzel GmbH

Sports Youth Hostel

Sports Youth Hostel
© Häfele, Studio Huber

SPORTS YOUTH HOSTEL

Lava + Wenzel + Wenzel

ARCHITECTS
LAVA + Wenzel + Wenzel

CATEGORY
Hostel

AREA
3800 m²

PROJECT YEAR
2017

PHOTOGRAPHS
Häfele, Studio Huber, LAVA

STRUCTURAL PLANNING
Engelsmann Peters

BUILDING SERVICES
IBT.PAN, Berlin

FIRE PROTECTION
Bau.art, Munich

KITCHEN PLANNING
b.o.b

LAVA
Tobias Wallisser, Alexander Rieck, Chris Bosse

WAYFINDING
Space Agency

TEAM
Julian Fahrenkamp (PL), Angelika Hermann, Jan Kozerski, Mikolay Scibisz, Nicola Schunter, Paula Gonzalez, Güley Alagöz, Elise Elsacker, Myung Lee, Yuan Ma; competition team: Sebastian Schott, Stephan Albrecht, Stefanie Pesel

WENZEL+WENZEL
Matias Wenzel, Sven Becker, Thilo von Wintzingerode, Erik Muth

LOCATION
Bayreuth, Germany

MANUFACTURERS
JUNG, Forbo Flooring Systems, Hafele, Alwitra, Brunner, Herholz, Hormann, Küffner, Vitra

Text description provided by architect.

It’s the new generation of youth hostels – innovative, integrative and international - and has recently opened in Bayreuth, Germany. The fluid structure is integrated into the landscape, with 2. contemporary materials and holistic sustainability – a place for active people of all abilities.

Sports Youth Hostel
© Häfele, Studio Huber
Sports Youth Hostel
© Häfele, Studio Huber

LAVA’s concept for the sports hostel is:

- Innovative– inventive new spatial configuration of the whole facility, including individual room modules, material use and design

Integrated–inclusive ‘barrier-free’ building, with sporting areas merging directly with the building, and accessible spaces, facilities and grounds
- International-the design from creates a feeling of place and combines it with contemporary elements Bayreuth’s global partner cities.

Sports Youth Hostel
© LAVA
Sports Youth Hostel
© Häfele, Studio Huber

LAVA chose a ‘Y’ shape for the 180-bed hostel because it cleverly generates a connective central space and interweaves the interior and exterior spaces, offering expansive views and multiple accessible openings to the sports fields and gardens.Research showed that Gen Y travellers want funky design, a special identity, access to community and unique experiences.

Not just a clean bed and shower! So LAVA’s reinterpretation of a youth hostel features innovative spatial configurations that encourage interaction and accessibility; sustainability at functional, constructional and social levels; and integrated sporting facilities.

Sports Youth Hostel
© LAVA
Sports Youth Hostel
© Häfele, Studio Huber

The rooms, grounds and facilities are all fully accessible and especially equipped for active people of all abilities. A whole wheelchair basketball team can stay here. Fourteen rooms on the ground floor are wheelchair accessible by lift or ramps, and there are walk-in showers, wheelchair-accessible sinks, more space and technical aids.

Doors, terraces, sports and parking areas are accessible and there are customised way-finding systems with strong graphics. Inclusion is also seen in the staffing with about one third of employees having disabilities.

Sports Youth Hostel
© LAVA
Sports Youth Hostel
© Häfele, Studio Huber

The guest room typology is new – LAVA designed an intelligent wall system with modular contemporary custom built-in furniture – toilets, showers as well as bed niches. These three-dimensional wall modules facilitate different room configurations through partially rotatable beds creating two, four and six-bed rooms. They maximise room usage for a broad range of guests – from individuals to families to wheelchair teams.

The multipurpose central atrium is a surprising element with its play of materials and colours. It fulfills the youth hostel motto ‘Experience the Community’ serving as a hub for (digital) entertainment, interaction and communication.The amphitheatre in the middle is lit by a skylight above and connects to the different levels in a playful way, whilst giving horizontal and diagonal sightlines guiding visitors through the building.

Sports Youth Hostel
© Häfele, Studio Huber

Reception, seminar rooms, bistro, kitchen, sports and game facilities are spread out over two floors and connected to each other via this central atrium. Each wing of the Y has access to the exterior at its end, and many ‘loops’ combining inside and outside come together at the central point of the Y.

Parts of the building double as grandstands for cultural events and encourage community interaction. Terraces allow direct access to the green fields and sports areas of the ground floor zone, all accessible.

Sports Youth Hostel
© Häfele, Studio Huber

Another feature is no fake surfaces, just authentic materials – wood looks like wood. Much of the structure, including wooden trusses, is exposed, giving a ‘raw’ space.

The wood, concrete floors and ceilings create an industrial robustness with brightly coloured infills and strong graphics referencing sports activities or natural elements like tree canopies.

Using local materials and techniques there is a focus on solidity and functionality rather than relying on the latest technology.

Sports Youth Hostel
© Häfele, Studio Huber

Holistic sustainability includes environmental - local materials, highly insulated facades, renewable energy, pollution reduction etc. But it also includes social and structural sustainability. Universal design allows everyone to work and to stay and integration sees more potential users, resulting in optimum use of the facility.

There are different utilisation cycles for various parts (construction, façade, technical development) - for example only along the corridors and the facades are there load-bearing components - room wings are freely dividable inside.

Sports Youth Hostel
© Häfele, Studio Huber

So future reuse/change of use is possible – one day the youth hostel could become a kindergarten, a school or a retirement home. It’s all about intelligent organisation, making it easy to connect, socialise, and creating a stage for individual and group activities.


Sports Youth Hostel
Section
Sports Youth Hostel
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Sports Youth Hostel
1st Floor Plan
Sports Youth Hostel
Ground Floor Plan


Sports Youth Hostel
Diagram
Sports Youth Hostel
Diagram
Sports Youth Hostel
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Sports Youth Hostel
Details

Wenzel + Wenzel GmbH
T +49 721 59840
Wenzel + Wenzel GmbH
Donaustraße 24, 76199 Karlsruhe, Germany