gray finished larch timber clads ko/ok architektur's new sports venue in germany

after being awarded first place in a competition to design a new sports venue within the the small saxon community of wülknitz in gemany, ko/ok architektur presents their completed project ‘kegelbahn’. the ‘discreet and straightforward’ one-story building is planned to combine the local sports and ninepin bowling club with a social venue in the heart of the village.

all images © simon menges

the new intervention by ko/ok architektur is positioned directly adjacent to the local authority and the sports ground, thus uniting the club’s different sports activities under one roof. the village center, by then sparsely characterized in a structural or functional sense, was densified and upgraded thanks to the creation of this new venue and place to stay.

a roofed terrace marks the entrance to the building, whose centrepiece is a four-lane bowling alley fit for competition. this area is connected to a spacious multifunctional common room featuring a bar and kitchen, and linked directly to the outdoor space with the adjoining football pitch. the building’s second section runs parallel to the bowling alley and is structured by the secondary rooms, such as the changing and utility rooms, the showers, and the office, sanitary and storage facilities.

in order for the new development to comply with the very low budget, everything was reduced to the essential during the planning process. thanks to meticulous fine-tuning, a largely prefabricated wooden structure emerged that feeds on the most basic solutions of industrial warehouse construction.

the building’s wooden structure is characterized by a straightforward and discreet indoor and outdoor design. the interior is dominated by visible, glue-laminated timber girders that span the entire building as well as by the plywood surfaces of the flat roof. all installations for the ventilation of the shower facilities and those for lighting run visibly along the ceiling while the colored linoleum floors and access doors serve as an accentuation of colour.

on the outside, the building is clad in a simple wooden robe. the rear ventilated, rift sawed larch wood planking, erected on the concrete base, was given a gray glazed finish and terminates in a setback attic made from titanium-zinc. the additional vertical profile of the façade bestows upon the structure a subtle and tectonic elegance — despite its overall simplicity.

project info:

project name: kegelbahn

program: sports venue with ninepin bowling alley

location: wülknitz, germany

architect: ko/ok architektur

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: lynne myers | designboom