Krakow has recently boasted a new sports hall built at Primary School No. 151 on Lipinskiego Street. Students now have a full-size volleyball and basketball court to use, as well as a two-story high climbing wall. The authors of the building—architects from the ARP Manecki studio, taking into account the ideas of the students of SP No. 151, also made use of the roof, placing an outdoor cinema and a mini library on it.
The ARP Manecki studio is known for its realization of sports and school facilities. The newly opened sports hall is another facility of their design in Krakow. In 2020, the first users were welcomed by a swimming pool on Kijowska Avenue, and in 2021 a multi-purpose community center in the Zielonki municipality was completed.
The sports part of the facility is covered with white perforated metal sheets
Photo: Tomasz Prokop © ARP Manecki
The new sports hall at 2 Wacława Lipińskiego Street was realized by the Board of Sports Infrastructure in Cracow. Located inside it, the full-size 22×44 m court is designed for volleyball and basketball. It can also be divided into three smaller ones using electrically controlled curtains, and the hall's lighting and sound system have also been adjusted for this purpose. Adequate lighting is provided by skylights located in the shed roof.
The new hall includes a full-size volleyball and basketball court
Photo: Tomasz Prokop © ARP Manecki
The interior of the hall is kept in an austere aesthetic—concrete and wood, and noteworthy is the climbing wall with special glass overlooking the fitness room, and in the hall the architects placed perforated wooden wall cladding with blocks, from which students can create various shapes.
With colorful blocks, one can create inscriptions on the wall
Photo: Tomasz Prokop © ARP Manecki
The façade of the building emphasizes its two functions—the sports part is covered with white perforated metal sheets in two mesh sizes, while the social part was made of wooden panels. As part of the landscaping of the area around the hall, the existing field for team games was renovated, a running track were created, as well as a playground.
raw interior of the new hall
Photo: Tomasz Prokop © ARP Manecki
Also designed were an outdoor gym, an educational path for the youngest, a place to play chess, scrabble and elements of small architecture. Importantly, the facility serves not only students, but also local residents.
A projection of the new sports hall, the connector leads to the school building
© ARP Manecki
interview with Mateusz Manecki
Dobrawa Bies: The ARP Manecki Architects studio is known for its construction of sports and school facilities. We are talking about the newly opened hall on Lipinskiego Street in Cracow. What did you start the project with?
Mateusz Manecki: We started the project by analyzing the development possibilities on the plot and listening to the needs of future users. After presenting several variants of the concept, we chose the version that aroused the most interest and best suited all parties.
The climbing wall is two stories high
Photo: Tomasz Prokop © ARP Manecki
Dobrawa: The recipients of the hall are students from a nearby school. You also included their suggestions in the design. Did any ideas surprise you, or were they particularly bold?
Matthew Manecki: We announced a competition for children called "My dream roof," where students could design a usable roof space. There were many interesting ideas, which we incorporated into the design: an outdoor pocket library, a green zone with pots and growing boxes, workbenches, deck chairs and a place for an outdoor cinema. Of course, there were also unusual proposals such as a dozen PlayStation consoles with specific games and with chairs for gamers.
On the first floor there is a separate fitness room
Photo: Tomasz Prokop © ARP Manecki
Dobrawa: In addition to the aforementioned outdoor cinema or library, there is also a climbing wall, as high as two stories. How did you approach the safety rules?
Matthew Manecki: When designing a climbing wall room, it is very important to discuss all issues with the designer at an early stage, to make sure that during the construction phase the contractor company will not encounter problems with the installation of the substructure. It is also important to choose the right angle of the wall to avoid possible collisions. The project is then discussed with the contractor, where we look for optimal and safe solutions. We are glad that in the hall on Lipinski Street we managed to design a separate room for the climbing wall, usually at schools this function is located in the sports hall. As a result, it is possible to simultaneously conduct classes in two areas, which promotes both comfort and safety.
The sports hall is located in Krakow's Debniki district
Photo: Tomasz Prokop © ARP Manecki
Dobrawa: What was the biggest challenge, and what are you most satisfied with?
Mateusz Manecki: In this type of investment, the biggest challenge is always the skillful embedding of the building in the terrain, especially if we are talking about a full-size sports hall, which by design is a large block. The whole should be designed in such a way that, firstly, as much as possible of the existing greenery is preserved and, secondly, new functions are proposed to make the space more attractive without overwhelming it. Combining all these elements sometimes requires logistical acrobatics, but the most important thing is the final result and that the facility pleases users.
Dobrawa: Thank you for the interview.
