When the Jurmala City Council asked Substance to build a sports venue for the popular Latvian sea resort, the firm designed a structure that could be open all year long in any weather. Inspired by the amber – crystallised resin of pine typically washed up on the Baltic coast, the venue’s form incorporates translucent polycarbonate cladding inside a structural framework to accentuate the building’s varying height.
More about the sports venue after the break.
Located opposite the Majori primary school, now an abandoned market place, the venue preserves the historical content on the marketplace by incorporating the existing shed into the new project. The shed sits on one side of the building and serves as changing rooms for teams and coaches, sports inventory storage and rent, and public vestibule with administrator’s workplace. The other side of the building opens toward the river. A synthetic covering is laid on the floor during the warmer months that makes the space suitable for basketball, volleyball and handball. In the colder months, the floor is converted to accommodate activities like hockey and ice-skating by adding an artificial layer of ice.
