New outdoor sports facilities of German School of Athens

The German School of Athens new outdoor sports facilities is part of a large-scale project that won the First Prize in the invited architectural competition regarding the: "New Design of the outdoor spaces of the German School of Athens Campus". The aim of the project is the functional and aesthetic integration of the existing areas of the complex with the outdoor space of the athletic facilities, based on the current, revised requirements of the institution. The proposal is related to the main building, which exemplifies the modern architectural style of the 1960s in a dual manner based on the balance between discipline and freedom, utilizing a corresponding synthetic tool. The existing main building was designed by the German architect Hans Graf Praschma and the detail design and supervision was conducted by Greek architect Pavlos Mylonas. The new athletic facilities include among others a running track, high jump, long jump, shot put, tennis, volleyball, handball and basketball courts, tennis training wall, bouldering wall, outdoor exercise areas and slackline.The basic tool used for the design concept of the outdoor athletic facilities is a grid system combined -and in contradiction- with a zig zag line-a polygonal chain that defines the boundaries of the campus plot. This chain is expressed as a continuous line of concrete tribunes and benches. In this way the geometry of the outline on the perimeter and the grid of the inner area organize the multitude of required functions and integrate previously unused zones into the sports area. The coloring variation of the floorings is also a main aspect of the project used to highlight the grid of the sports fields. The bright colors are chosen in order to designate the recreational character of physical activity and motivate children to exercise and play in a contemporary and vivid space.