Idrættens Hus

At Kildegården in Roskilde, local residents can pursue a wide range of recreational activities, in an area which previously housed the city barracks. Idrættens Hus has excellent facilities for gymnastics and table tennis, in particular.

Troldtekt cement-bonded wood wool panels ensure superior acoustics in sports architecture
Photo: Helene Høyer Mikkelsen, architect

Classic, red brick façades are a common feature of Kildegården that has been echoed in the new building, which houses facilities for aerial gymnastics, trampolining and table tennis, and rooms for many other forms of movement and sport.

The elongated building is divided into smaller units, with the entrance area and main staircase serving as a lighter element between the brick core and the large trampoline hall. The façade design is varied to suit the small scale of the site.

The gymnastics and trampoline halls are located at either end, in building elements with a lighter structure and with the high ceilings required for aerial gymnastics.

Cohesive element

Large window sections offer views into the gymnastics and trampoline halls from the street, providing good contact with the activities. The same visual contact exists inside the building, in which it is very easy to find one’s way around from the entrance area. Visitors can see inside the trampoline hall, and an open first-floor balcony offers views of the gymnasts’ activities in the hall below.

The visual contact throughout is a strongly cohesive force in the building. Troldtekt acoustic panels have been used on the ceilings and/or walls in all rooms to optimise the acoustics.

Troldtekt panels also serve as a decorative element in the two large halls, with vertical colour patterns that break up the white surfaces. The colour red is echoed in the building ‘core’. The vertical pattern is repeated in the outer facade where lighter panels and vertical windows similarly serve to break up the dark grey facade.