Sports Center will be leveled to the ground

The central area of the sport center, built in the ’60s, will be demolished. The entrance, t Sportcafé, sauna, spinning room, yoga room, the courtyard and several dressing rooms will be leveled to the ground. There will be a new building instead.

With a sweeping arm gesture Ineke Hoebink, the head of the sports center, shows what is going to change. She points to a wall. “From here we’ll demolish everything. Actually we will only leave sport hall 1,  sport hall 2, squash courts and fitness rooms that were built 2003. Temporarily there will be two entrances, probably one in every sport hall, because the hallway in between will be demolished.”

The oldest part of the sports center was built in 1964 and, according to Hoebink, has to be replaced because of its structure and the increase in the number of sport card holders. As a user you don’t really notice anything, but parts of the building are really outdated. “We have a lot of problems with  facilities. We repair the doors every month, the counter sinks slowly into the ground…’T Sportcafé has problems with the ventilation and sewerage. Renovation is in this case more expensive than new construction.”

The new sauna and yoga hall will be moved to the first floor. It’s a conscious choice, says Hoebink: “We want to create an atmosphere of peace and quiet.” Sports halls 1 and 2 remain intact, as well as the two existing squash courts. However, they will be renovated; lightning will be replaced, floor renovated and walls painted.

The new building is designed by architects Bedaux de Brouwer. This company was also responsible for the design in the 60s and part of the expansion in 2003. It is predicted that the new building will be ready in May 2014.