FS20, Arena, Project, by Group 14
Albis BMX-Arena - The Transition Zone
When you visit the Albisguetli you notice you’re not only at a simple shooting range. It’s a particular place… may say a connection point between the Uetliberg and the city of Zurich. We perceive it as the place where nature starts to become more urban.
And our arena is exactly in between the overstepped “limits” from nature and the city.
The main intention of our project is to create a BMX track with its surrounding. It should be accessible to all the inhabitants of the city and also the track itself should work for all kind of BMX riders, no matter if they’re amateurs or professionals.
The very special topography of the shooting range allowed us to develop different sections of a same and unique track. When you look from the target building towards the city, depending on the level you are in, you perceive the whole area in a completely different way. And it was precisely this feeling that inspired us and helped us develop some kind of principles and hierarchies for our arena.
Starting from the target building, there are 3 main tracks with different possibilities to start.
We designed each one with different characteristics in the curves and jumps, thinking about different types of riders. However, all of them are interconnected, making it possible for the athlete to change circuits. These interconnections are given by the topography.
The first level gives a feeling of shelter, a little more comfort, so we decided that it should be a circuit for beginners, extensive and with not very high and complicated jumps.
The second level, has a higher degree of difficulty, because the rider should be more experienced to be able to carry out successfully the curves.
The third level, which has the best view of all, gives the feeling of dominance, control, empowerment, which is why we believe that this should have jumps that require greater mastery of the sport.
The middle of the arena is where all comes together and the topography can be reinterpreted. The hills that functioned as ramps are now also jumps. This track allows riders to improve other skills and also with its form to make a more traditional race.
In front of the shooting building its another track designed for people who are just soaking up the passion for BMX.
The spaces that result in between the tracks are very different and have their own qualities, what allows as well a riders as spectors to decide how close do they want to be involved with the action. Newly created grass-stairs should simplify the possibility to move through the area and see at the current race.
The two buildings should as well offer spaces for riders and spectators to be and exchange. The shooting building has been designed to have different uses inside. Thinking about the spectators and hungry riders, the highest floor is a restaurant that has a wide view of the arena and from the other side an incredible one of Zurich. For the riders it's the perfect space to store the bicycles in the ground floor. The first floor is perfect for changing rooms and other administrative work.
The target building becomes a very special and intimate place for the riders, a place where they can totally take over and express themselves. They can even use the rooms inside to hang out, fiddling with their bikes or whatever they want to do. Also the surrounding of this building should be adapted for an easier use of the space.
Our goal is to keep the energy consumption for the structure and its construction as low as possible. Because the first BMX races took place on earthy or sandy ground it is important for us to use only natural materials. So all the required resources should be taken from the existing structure, reuse, redistribute and reshape. This will be essentially earth and mud.
“Natural imitates art- and the artificial mimes the natural” - Dan Graham
Construction Details of Track Situations
Section Shooting Building
Adaptations of Target Building