OLYMPIC
TENNIS CENTER
VILLEMADRID
SPAIN, 2009
SPORT
PR–380
Designed with the 2016 Olympic Games in mind, the Caja Mágica Olympic Tennis Centre owes its name to the magic of sports fields, places of duels, triumphs, and jubilation. Like the boxes in our childhood fairy tales, its retractable roof opens and closes, ready to protect the athletes or expose them to the light. At night, the interplay of lights renders the metal invisible to the outside world.
GALLERY
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VIDEOS
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001 Simulation
002 Simulation
003 Simulation
004 Presentation video
005 Simulation
006 Simulation
PROGRAM
The Caja Mágica is spread over an area of 16.5 hectares, between the motorway and the wasteland of the railway network. It includes the “magic box” and its three courts with a total capacity of 20,000 spectators, 16 outdoor courts, 5 indoor courts and 6 practice courts, a swimming pool, the headquarters of the Spanish Tennis Federation, a tennis school, a clubhouse, a press center and restaurants.
DETAIL
Situation
Camino de Perales, 23, Usera, Madrid, Spain
Year
2002–2009
Status
International competition, winning project
Site area
16,5 ha
Built surface
100 000 m²
Client
Madrid Espacios y Congresos, Madrid
Architect
Dominique Perrault Architecte
Engineering office
TYPSA, LKS, Jean-Paul Lamoureux
Interior designer and design
Gaëlle Lauriot-Prévost
DESCRIPTION
The buildings, constructed of metal, aluminum, concrete, and glass, overlook a vast artificial lake. A system of walkways offers a variety of routes and connects the center to the San Fermin district and the Manzanares Park, designed by Ricardo Bofill. The roofs of the main courts, mounted on hydraulic jacks, allow for three configurations—indoor, outdoor, and semi-open—which can be adjusted to 27 different positions.
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This “magic box,” which opens and closes as needed, adapts to all types of events. Like a garment, its metallic mesh skin filters the sun, softens the wind, and lightly protects sports halls. The cover, a veritable sunscreen—a kind of urban headdress—unifies the urban fabric.
The spiral mesh envelops and shelters walkways from rain and sun, while still allowing air to circulate. Thanks to the mesh’s transparency, the city, its rhythm, and its bustle remain visible.
The city, because the mesh spiral is high enough (25 meters!) to offer a view of the city through it. Time, because the factory was brought on-site to manufacture the spiral. And finally, the bustle, because the mesh forms large banners on the ceiling, harmonizing and leveling the volumes of this elevated space. The panels create an illusion of horizontality, without compromising the height.
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