Athletics for all seasons

The new sports hall of the Lycée Nic Biever is located in rue Reiteschkopp in Dudelange in the immediate vicinity of the Alliance annex, which is part of the same school. The building, clad in white fibre cement sheets, is located at the extreme north-east corner of the site in order to leave all possibilities open for future developments on the site. The building houses a 29 by 47m sports hall which can be divided by two mobile curtains. The hall's diffuse daylighting is provided by two bands of skylights complemented by a row of north-facing windows, which considerably reduces the need for artificial lighting. The ancillary rooms are spread over two levels adjoining the hall. The six changing rooms on the first floor are distributed by an open circulation area which creates interesting visual links with the sports hall and at the same time serves as an additional gallery. Indeed, it increases the capacity of the three blocks of telescopic stands located in the hall which allow the sports associations of the City of Dudelange to use the hall as a temporary solution during the renovation of the city's own facilities. On the ground floor, the spacious foyer is marked by an imposing exposed concrete staircase free of any intermediate support. The architectural language is clear and structured and the number of materials is very small. This approach is partly due to the very short construction time of 42 weeks. This was preceded by a 9-week phase during which the team of architects, design offices and general contractor had to develop the execution project together on the basis of a preliminary design. The apparent austerity of the raw concrete floors and walls contrasts with the fir wood of the framework, ceilings and wall cladding, against which the perfectly ordered technical installations stand out in a uniform white colour. This orderly language throughout the building creates a certain serenity. The technical installations include a natural night-time cooling system which, combined with extensive thermal insulation, ensures a pleasant indoor climate for users in all seasons. Sound-absorbing ceilings and wall cladding in the circulation areas and the sports hall provide the acoustic comfort necessary for the smooth running of classes.