The trou­ble­shoo­ters

Rising pupil numbers, dila­pi­dated sports halls and tight budgets are putting schools and local autho­ri­ties under massive pres­sure.

Examples from Hamburg, Euskir­chen and Buch­holz in der Nord­heide show how open-air halls can quickly create new sports areas, reduce costs and relieve the burden on schools and clubs alike.

Since the begin­ning of the year, schools in Hamburg have been faced with the chall­enge of meeting the compul­sory three PE lessons per week, despite growing pupil numbers.

The exis­ting capa­ci­ties at Heid­horst elemen­tary school had reached their limits. Available hall times were scarce and the exis­ting sports faci­li­ties were already more than fully utilized. The cons­truc­tion of a tradi­tional gymna­sium would have meant major hurdles both finan­ci­ally and in terms of time.

Toge­ther with the sponsor Schulbau Hamburg, the school ther­e­fore opted for an open-air hall as a quick and econo­mical solu­tion. The roofed cons­truc­tion, which is open at the sides, enables year-round use without any heating costs. At the same time, the unavo­idable supply of fresh air ensures a healthy sports climate.

The result: The new hall quickly and sustain­ably reli­eved the time­table and occu­p­ancy sche­dule, expanded the school’s usage options and is content with minimal opera­ting costs.

This is how an all-day school can work.

The flood disaster in 2021 presented the Mari­en­schule in Euskir­chen with an exis­ten­tial chall­enge, as the school’s own triple gymna­sium was comple­tely destroyed. PE lessons could only take place at alter­na­tive loca­tions, which required long bus jour­neys and made ever­yday school life consider­ably more diffi­cult.

The “MSE Arena” provided a quick remedy. Thanks to the coope­ra­tion of the city, aid orga­niza­tions and private commit­ment, a fully func­tional sports faci­lity was built within a few months – without the bureau­cratic and struc­tural hurdles of a tradi­tional recon­s­truc­tion.

The MSE Arena not only enables regular sports lessons on site again, it also enri­ches school life thanks to its versa­ti­lity.

Of course, local clubs can also use the hall. So ever­yone bene­fits.

In Buch­holz in der Nord­heide, the chall­enge was to create a modern sports faci­lity that not only serves the schools, but is also econo­mic­ally viable and, last but not least, bene­fits popular sports.

The solu­tion is a hybrid usage model on a multi­func­tional surface. The open-air hall is used by schools in the mornings and is available to clubs, company sports groups and private users outside of school hours.

The hall was financed with the help of local compa­nies and busi­nesses. A digital booking system enables uncom­pli­cated orga­niza­tion without addi­tional personnel costs. Income from rentals contri­butes to the refi­nan­cing of the project and ensures long-term opera­tion.

The “BK-Green Arena” also demons­trates the great poten­tial of open-air halls in terms of sustaina­bi­lity – above all thanks to the compre­hen­sive PV system on the roof.

The examples from Hamburg, Euskir­chen and Buch­holz illus­trate that open-air halls offer versa­tile and prag­matic answers to current chal­lenges such as energy effi­ci­ency, cost disci­pline and rapid feasi­bi­lity, also and espe­ci­ally for school and club sports.

Open-air halls save heating costs because they are not heated at all. They are also versa­tile and create added value that goes beyond pure school sports.

Open-air halls enrich the sporting and social life of their surroun­dings in a sustainable way.

As I said: win-win.

McArena GmbH
Karl-Ferdi­nand-Braun-Strasse 3
D – 71522 Back­nang

Heid­horst Primary School
Heid­horst 16
D – 21031 Hamburg

Mari­en­schule Euskir­chen
Basingstoker Ring 3
D – 53879 Euskir­chen

Photos

McArena GmbH

Johannes Bühl­be­cker
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