Multisports center in Tarbes

Text description provided by architect.

The project is the result of an ideas competition for the transformation of an old military industry building from the early 20th century into a large sports center of reference for the city, the region and the country.

Endowed with a clear and repetitive geometry with a sawtooth roof, the buildings emulate the nobility of a cathedral, despite a very poor exterior appearance, the result of the passage of time, of neglect and the absence of a façade cladding.

Our proposal aims to maintain the value of the pre-existence, while fully preserving the perception of its original character, even with the introduction of a new, light and colorful world, characteristics linked to the playful character that the building should express.

On the other hand, the requirements of the new sports program (lobby, changing rooms, federation rooms, offices) are resolved with a block of intense yellow color that in turn forms two large climbing walls that are the protagonists of the central space of the project.

This piece also becomes the upper tier for spectators and the element that defines the boundaries between the different sports areas. Finally, our design provides the building with a new façade consisting of a brick base, in harmony with the architecture of the neighborhood, and white cladding that extends to the edge of the roof.