SPORTS CANOPY – GÄRTRINGEN (GERMANY)
COMPLETION DATE 2025
SURFACE AREA 1104 M2
An open-air sports hall in the grounds of the Ludwig-Uhland-Schule
In Gärtringen, Germany, SMC2 built a 1,104 m² sports canopy in the grounds of the Ludwig-Uhland-Schule, a local school. The hall and the 20 by 40 metre multi-sport pitch it shelters were delivered under the same contract, sized to full handball dimensions and usable all year round, whatever the weather.
The structure spans 48 metres by 23, under a dual-pitch roof rising to 8.30 metres. The timber structure is a post-and-beam frame braced with galvanised steel. The profiled steel roof is sized to carry a photovoltaic array.
No walls, no locked doors, but a complete sports space. SMC2 enclosed the pitch with a barrier system with integrated goals and ball-stop netting rising to roof level, and laid an EPDM surface with basketball and handball markings. Side-mounted basketball hoops and a set of ring swings suspended from the frame complete the fit-out — a first for an open-air hall in Germany. LED lighting integrated into the structure allows play long after the school day ends.
With this project, SMC2 shows how a school playground can be given a sports facility in its own right: for pupils during the day, for clubs and residents the rest of the time.
