Daegu Sports Court

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Daegu Architecture and Culture Bienalle 2014 Competition

Dalseong, South Korea

Summer 2014

Collaboration with Natalie Kwee + Caio Barboza

Daegu Sports Court is a proposal for a multipurpose athletic facility in the city of Daegu, South Korea.

Located in a sloped site in the outskirts of the city, the program called for a space to foster community and team spirit: a democratic arena to welcome citizens, athletes, and visitors. The gymnasium’s design promotes leisure and culture, with an emphasis on individual and collective well-being.

The design draws from the organization of the traditional Korean courtyard house to create a gymnasium that represents the culture of Dalseong. The programs are laid out for maximum functionality and flexibility.

Profiting from the sloped site, the main multipurpose hall is sunken into the ground, and is conceived as a public arena for all members of the community. Activities happening in the sports hall are visible to all other adjacent spaces: two multipurpose community halls, a cafeteria and lounge, as well as all the ancillary program located in the periphery of the court.

Materiality, transparency and accessibility are intrinsically intertwined. The building uses a material palette reminiscent of traditional Korean constructions: stained cedarwood & grey fired granite, locally sourced materials that are both contextual and timeless. The operable wooden louvers function like a Korean fan, opening and closing to let light in depending on the time of day. At night, the gymnasium glows like a lantern in the city of Daegu, a welcoming and symbolic monument for the community.