sportpark graz

urban design concept
the recommendation to “green streets and courtyards, create parks as relief, and reduce sealed surfaces” also serves as the conceptual guiding principle for a sports park, which positions itself not as a building but rather as a walkable, usable, and playable green landscape. greenhill supports training and elite sports indoors, while providing a public green oasis on the roof.
the sports park preserves the current size of publicly accessible green space and offers a topographically shaped park close to the city center in the southern part of the mur metropolis. the main entrance is on schönaugasse. a large, covered forecourt protects visitors from the weather before and after events. bus arrivals can drop off visitors directly at the forecourt. the sports hall is recessed approximately 4.5 m below adjacent terrain, limiting the building’s height to about 8.5 m above the surrounding ground.
an additional entrance for athletes (and potentially press or vip guests during events) is located on hüttenbrennergasse. the compact, naturally ventilated parking deck is located underground along schönaugasse and the northern property boundary. access is via the western section of hüttenbrennergasse (with a possible queuing zone for events).
along schönaugasse, tree planting forms an avenue. the property is greened except for the paved forecourt and/or equipped with permeable sports surfaces. trees are planted along the boundaries. the former sports field’s topography is retained by a fully greened roof with play areas. the surrounding area consists of relatively dense residential buildings, which gain a green center through the greenhill sports park.

architectural quality
a “raised turf layer” separates indoor from outdoor sports. greenhill is not a building, it is a landscape: a climatic envelope for the sports halls with maximal outdoor space provision. glare-free natural lighting, clear legibility of functional areas, simple, crossing-free circulation, and maximal use of spatial resources are guiding principles for the park’s form.

functional organization
user flows are clearly separated. usage units are organized to maximize synergies. orientation is simple for different user groups due to clear spatial hierarchy. all sports areas are naturally lit, and the building is fully accessible. changing rooms are organized with separate “clean” and “dirty” circulation zones.

garage
in accordance with oib guideline 2.2, a natural smoke and heat extraction system is provided:
two supply air openings near the floor (sum of continuously free cross-sectional areas = 0.5% of the fire section area)
two exhaust openings near the ceiling (sum of continuously free cross-sectional areas = 0.5% of the fire section area)
the entrance and exit, along with open escape stairs and additional openings, support this system.

economy
following the soil survey recommendations, the building is optimally embedded relative to groundwater and soil load-bearing capacity to minimize foundation costs. excavated material can largely remain on-site. operational efficiency is supported by organizational clarity and energy-conscious design. the hall’s structural system is materially and conceptually optimized for efficiency.

ecology
the project contributes significantly to sustainable resource management and local microclimate:
the sports hall envelope emerges from the landscape and is mostly buried; the roof height allows extensive greening, improving air quality in a heavily infrastructural context.
excavated soil is reused on-site, minimizing transport. the structure is a steel–concrete composite, with eco-concrete for very low co2 and nox emissions. surrounding mass provides high thermal inertia, reducing heating and cooling needs. minimal energy is required to maintain base temperatures during low usage periods, and summer overheating is largely prevented. heating and cooling demands are ideally met via groundwater and groundwater heat pumps. a daylight factor of ~4% (per din 5039) is achieved through skylights and light-colored surfaces for uniform, glare-free illumination.

energy concept

heating
heat supplied via groundwater heat pump, optionally supported by district heating ceiling panels and supply air heating in the sports hall
radiator heating in administrative and social areas
underfloor heating in wet rooms and changing rooms
decentralized hot water production with fresh-water modules for showers

ventilation
two mechanical supply and exhaust systems with heat recovery for sports halls, located in technical centers inside the building
variable ventilation for individual hall sections and spectator stands based on air quality
low-velocity air supply via textile ducts and floor outlets
separate ventilation for wet rooms, changing rooms, and interior spaces
separate exhaust systems for wcs

cooling
direct cooling from groundwater for pre-cooling supply air, remaining cooling via reversible heat pump
optional: adiabatic air cooling and mechanical cooling integrated into ventilation units if district heating is used

sanitary
decentralized hot water production with fresh-water modules for showers, enabling system shutdown outside usage while maintaining legionella prophylaxis
decentralized electric hot water in administrative and public areas

structural concept
main load paths of the hall structure are analyzed; deformations under live loads are derived from principal stress lines. the walkable hall structure is built in an economical composite system: steel trusses with tension rods along main load paths and precast concrete roof elements. these roof elements form light openings through folding and are cast on-site into a load-bearing compression zone. horizontal loads are transferred via inclined supports and abutments in the hall side aisles. minimal deformations under live load demonstrate the structure’s excellent performance.