Multi-purpose centre in Ørestaden, Copenhagen

Between large residential developments along Ørestad Boulevard lies Ørestad Streethal, a multi-purpose centre with facilities for many different types of activities around the clock.

Troldtekt acoustic ceilings in sports facilities
Photo: Helene Høyer Mikkelsen, architect

Prior to the construction of Ørestad Streethal, local, prospective users participated in workshops with NORD Arhitects to discuss their wishes for facilities.

The result is a centre, which is open 24/7 and with facilities for a multitude of activities, including basketball, table tennis, indoor skateboarding and indoor climbing, and which also has a heated hall for activities such as yoga or baby gymnastics.

Clubs and associations with fixed timetables use all the facilities and can access the hall with a key, but otherwise all users have access to the centre, which is unmanned.

Ørestad Streethal is ideal for informal sports activities, but is also open for other cultural events, greatly facilitated by an inviting architecture with large window sections all around the building. The building is constructed of five different-sized pentagons, which together accommodate a ball court, a multi-purpose room, the main hall and toilets.

There is no actual back to the building’s organic form, but there is a clear and inviting entrance on Ørestad Boulevard.

High activity level/low sound level

Children come whizzing past on their bikes and scooters, in through the building at one end and out again at the other, while other youngsters practice tricks on their skateboards. A group of boys play basketball on the ball court, and families with young children are waiting for the baby gymnastics class to begin in the main hall. You get the feeling that everything is happening in the same place at the same time – and that is exactly how it is. All kinds of activities can take place under one roof.

Troldtekt acoustic panels have been installed on the walls throughout to help reduce the reverberation time and thus the noise levels in the centre. Troldtekt on the walls in the centre’s raw and unheated spaces adds texturality and emphasises the friendly atmosphere.

The building’s exterior is clad in wood with grass on the roof, which is visible from the neighbouring residential development VM Bjerget.