Located on a terrace of the Kerenzerberg mountain 300 metres above the Walensee (Lake Walen) in Filzbach in Glarus, the Kerenzerberg Sports Centre, which opened in 1971, is showing its age. For a project competition on its restoration and extension, we reworked the exterior space originally designed by Hans Nussbaumer and Heiri Grünenfelder. Our entry submitted with E2A Architects Zurich was awarded 2nd Prize.
With appropriate interventions in the outdoor space, our design proposal respects the site-specific topography, in that the whole installation fits unobtrusively into the natural slopes. Minor terrain shaping is achieved using local pieces of rock that reflect and underline the picturesque effect of the surrounding landscape. The edges of the slopes are lightly planted with ribbons of woodland vegetation, with targeted clearings allowing views of the mountains and into the distance. The species composition of the vegetation reflects the landscape and the forest (maple, ash, and lime trees). The meadow land stretching to the nearby village is planted with scattered fruit trees, tying in with the traditional cultivated land use.