Indoor athletics hall for year-round practice
Athletics sports are usually practiced outdoors, and are often disrupted by the vagaries of climate and inclement weather.
The desire to free athletics from these constraints and to enable the practice of athletics all year round has created a growing demand for suitably adapted infrastructure.
We meet this demand with our comprehensive turnkey solution for indoor athletics halls. Right from the start of the design stage we consider the best possible layouts and options for the facility so as to overcome any challenges associated with constraints on space or configuration – such as using banked tracks etc.
This comprehensive approach using glued-laminated timber and textile membrane clad structures, allows us to offer economical as well as ecological solutions, both in terms of capital investment and operation.
An athletics hall free of technical constraints
Covering an athletics track brings with it certain inherent necessities in terms of large spans as well as considerable internal volumes and heights. Whether it is a 200m or 400m track to include facilities for pole vaulting or not; we aim to liberate spaces and construct buildings with great length and height. The physical properties of glued laminated wood and textile membrane together with our engineering prowess, enable us to erect large buildings with beautiful free-spanning timber trusses.
In Miramas (France), we designed and built the largest athletics hall in Southern Europe, which boasts a 80m free-spanning timber frame – a feat which was achieved thanks to our knowhow and expertise of Glulam construction systems combined with the lightness of surface tensile textile membrane coverings for the roof and façades.
A textile envelope has several advantages for the comfort of athletes. It guarantees excellent natural lighting without glare and provides acoustic comfort. Control of hygrothermics parameters within our athletics halls mean that comfort is ensured in summer as well as winter.
the athletics hall in miramas is a public facilty of the highest quality. with a seating capacity of 5,500, it was conceived with atheletes and spectators in mind. there is nothing else like it in southern europe. it’s design ensures the best condition for athletics. the running tracks, the pole vaulting and long throw areas are well-designed as are the warm-up track and training spaces located beneath the seating stands.
André GIRAUD,
President of the French Athletics Federation
