Topsport Sports Gymnasium Antwerp: Top performance even on the ground

The Stedelijk Lyceum Topsport Sports School in Antwerp is a ‘machine à exceller’ designed to function seamlessly and efficiently: an incubator for Belgium’s next generation of elite athletes.

The pupils at the sports school train at a high level. They push their bodies to the limit and strive for peak sporting performance. This requires an environment that meets the differing demands of both school and sport. The Topsport Sports Gymnasium provides the ideal setting for this: transparent surfaces and sweeping views characterise the atmosphere.

The building was constructed on the site of the 6th Brialmont Fortress, part of the fortification ring surrounding the city of Antwerp. Right next to it lies its own circus-like Roman-style square: the Square of Parades. Its sculptural concrete plinth creates space for the sports facilities and gives the building a distinct spatial presence.

On top of this plinth, the so-called ‘school disc’ functions as a kaleidoscopic glass house for education. The 5,600 m² passive house serves as an educational and sporting home for around 200 pupils. It comprises the school wing and extensive sports facilities.

The sports hall, the judo and taekwondo halls, as well as the associated facilities such as the fitness area and canteen, are housed within the building’s concrete plinth. These areas are more enclosed and shielded. Here, elite athletes can concentrate on training and preparing for competitions.

In the upper ‘slab’, the school’s classrooms are situated behind a full-height, floor-to-ceiling glass façade. This is interrupted in the centre by an inner courtyard. The varying composition of the glass creates a changing façade effect – at times slightly transparent, at times reflective.

For the interior spaces, the designers made innovative use of the ARTIGO MULTIFLOOR ND UNI collection. Six different colour shades were used to create geometric compositions that also lend the floors a dynamic, ‘sporty’ look.

Rubber flooring: robust, low-maintenance and emission-tested

Rubber floor coverings combine functional properties with a wide range of design possibilities. The ARTIGO ND/UNI collection offers a selection of colours and enables customised geometric designs.

Rubber flooring is characterised by high durability, robust surfaces, low-maintenance properties and elasticity. This makes it suitable for high-traffic areas and it is used, amongst other places, in schools and educational establishments. The ARTIGO MULTIFLOOR ND UNI collection also holds various product-specific environmental and emissions certifications. These include ‘Indoor Air Comfort Gold’, a certification that sets out defined requirements for VOC emissions from floor coverings.

The entire ARTIGO MULTIFLOOR ND UNI collection is also Cradle to Cradle® certified. 

Copyright photos: Bart Gosselin Photography