With respect for the historic monastery view, the Wettingen cantonal school sports halls were built underground.

The Cister­cian monas­tery in Wettingen is a cultural monu­ment of national importance. When the cantonal school moved into the monas­tery premises in 1979, the school’s sports hall with a swim­ming pool was cons­tructed on the common land outside the monas­tery area.

To main­tain the histo­rical view of the monas­tery, the sports hall and swim­ming pool were built under­ground, around a deep cour­tyard with longi­tu­dinal sides that provided the adjoi­ning gymna­siums with daylight.

The planned extension of the sports halls built in 1979 was also realised in accordance with the monastic mission statement.

The planned exten­sion of the Wettingen cantonal school sports halls is also required to adhere to this prin­ciple and is thus being deve­loped under­ground. Since the orien­ta­tion and provi­sion of daylight play a decisive role, a linear prome­nade was planned as the starting point for the design, forming a clear and orderly link between the old and the new buil­dings.

All the main uses are either directly adja­cent to this access route, or the prome­nade affords a gene­rous view of them.

The chosen form of orga­ni­sa­tion with linear elements creates a calm and clear impres­sion of Wettingen cantonal school sports halls from the outside. A window strip facing north accom­pa­nies the prome­nade in the vici­nity of the triple sports hall.

The art on the building plays with the metaphor of the rough rock on which the Cistercian monastery is enthroned high above the Limmat and into which the new sports hall was chiselled.

Brin­ging toge­ther the illu­mi­na­ting zone and the spec­ta­tors’ gallery avoids any irri­ta­ting back­light effects when people are watching the sports being played. And, in the other direc­tion, when looking out from the hall, the observer sees a wide relief wall.

The art on the buil­ding is by the Lang/Baumann duo and plays on the meta­phor of the rough rock on which the Cister­cian monas­tery towers above the Limmat river and into which, in the true sense of the word, the new sports hall has been chiselled.

The shadows cast by the concrete blocks change over the course of the day and the year, giving the under­ground observer a feel for the time of day or year.