Francisco MANGADO
 
fM
FRANCISCO MANGADO

Metropolitan Multisport Center in Rezé+

2012-

Rezé-France


Reality need not be a limitation on architecture. On the contrary, reality is a complex of many elements, circumstances and conditions that,if well understood and organized with architectural intelligence, make a wonderful crucible to transform into a new reality, a new urban, architectural, and constructional fact that is willingly of use and service to society.

Reality in the case of the new sport center of Rezé is mainly defined by the place, by its context, and by the functional or programmatic needs to address. Reality lies in the place, in the ‘topography’, in how to relate with the built zones of the immediate surroundings and the city of Nantes in terms of connections and ease of access. But it also lies in compliance with the program’s functional requirements. This reality is ‘rich’ enough to generate a proposal for the design of the new building.

Two functional requirements have guided the development of the project. On one hand, easy access from the city, from neighboring urban cores, and from public circulation networks, which generate intensive flows at given times and bring people to the facilities for sport activities. On the other hand is the need to organize the flows by separating the more public ones – more crowded, noisier – from the more controlled movements – more private and exclusive, with areas for VIPs, the media, and athletes themselves. So the proposal makes a clear differentiation between two sport halls: one surrounded by the more important facilities and services, and an annexed space for the local team, which can be used independently of the former.

155 Rue Victor Hugo, 44400 Rezé, Francia