: The existing courts, built as a sports facility of Sofstroy in 1998, in the Zaimov Park, one of the central city parks, were in a poor condition, left unmaintained since their construction in the '90s. The sports facility has been entirely closed to the park and therefore invisible from the outside. The space only took from the park`s area without really being an active part of it. The new intervention aimed to completely renew and reorganize the space dedicated to tennis. MG Tennis Academy is situated in the heart of Sofia, amidst the lush greenery of the urban park, some meters away from tramway stops and close to the future metro station of blvd. “Evlogi and Hristo Georgevi”. The complex has two open courts with red chamotte flooring, and three courts covered with vinyl membrane, which partially opens in the summer. The main issue of the project was to reconnect the park and the courts. Preserving the existing layout of the courts and the building, two more entrances were added and all three are offset to the inside in-between the courts. Amidst the courts is a café and a restaurant facing the main alley of the park. All of the existing trees are preserved, three of them passing through the roof, stressing the idea of avoiding discontinuity within the surrounding park. The wooden decking covers the entire area between the courts and the interior of the building. Thus, there is no place in the complex where the inside and outside are rigidly separated. The excellent quality of the covered courts is, the unique for Bulgaria, acrylic surface GreenSet Comfort. It is laboratory tested also tried during real game conditions. This type of surface is suitable for all of tennis players and styles of playing. It has multiple layers to relieve the pressure on the spine and the joints to assure maximum comfort and safety during the gameBesides the comfort of playing, the new intervention boasts exceptional attention to detail, from the changing rooms to the terraces, entrances, and fences. The technical equipment that is required is completely hidden from view. Thereby, the visitors of the complex could enjoy the game as well as the park without distractions. As the courts are situated between two alleys in the park, it was of great importance for the new design to create the possibility of continuity between the park and through the sports facility. The nets of the courts are treated with transparent mesh and the building’s facades covered with white glass panels. The cantilevered wooden roofs seem to levitate above the building and the outdoor café, and their height coincides with the line of the opening of the vinyl covering of courts 1, 2 and 5, providing a unifying horizontal line connecting the buildings and facilities, which preserves the human scale. Though the facility is functionally divided, the aim of the project was to turn it into an organic entity that is one with the park, transparent and permeable.
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MG Tennis Courts

Sofia, Bulgaria

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MG Tennis Courts

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