lisbon padel club takes form as a series of delicate luminous volumes

luminous sport pavilions by saboia + ruiz arquitetos

saboia + ruiz arquitetos has designed a new padel club, located within the urban perimeter of lisbon, portugal. the design team sought to maximally preserve the existing topographical characteristics, avoiding land extraction from the site, and respecting the limits imposed by the electric grid and water supply easements.

thus, to harmoniously fit within its urban context, the final composition takes shape as a series of four delicate boxes. assembled by a timber structure wrapped with translucent polycarbonate panels, they adopt a permeable, open design. at night, the volumes emit a soft light that illuminates the neighborhood, giving the impression that they are suspended. all images by saboia + ruiz arquitetos

a permeable layout extending the visual limits

to take advantage of the beautiful views opening towards the tejo river, the architects (see more here) opted for a more open design on the ground level. this way, the visual boundary are loose, extending the player’s view far from the court limits. however, the interaction with the external areas and other properties doesn’t compromise privacy.

the project features a minimum number of 12 indoor courts, while one of them is conceived for exhibition games and competitions. the ground-level settlement allows a covered parking lot to be built without additional excavations. the building also incorporates industrial processes with low environmental impact. the boxes are constructed with a glued laminated timber structure enclosed with translucent polycarbonate panels. this way, carbon dioxide emissions are reduced by promoting the use of natural light during the day. according to the architects, the lisbon padel club aims to be the most modern indoor padel club in portugal, with professional-level infrastructure, following the guidelines established by the FIP (international padel federation).

delicate luminous boxes

overall, the project seeks the materialization of a building that respectfully fits into its urban context and the environmental constraints of the municipality. lisbon padel club employs simple and delicate volumes that optimize the use of natural light during the day and contribute to urban qualification and safety during the night. and this is succeeded by emitting a soft light that illuminates its immediate urban surroundings.