STACKABLE SOCCER HAS THE CITY IN ITS SIGHT
06 Feb 2017
Designed for high-density urbanites who want to play like they work - on top of the world, Stackable sports facilities could be the answer to increasing sporting availability in land challenged cities.
Building soccer pitches isn't typically a priority in London's limited space, so architect AL_A has devised a way to make the most of the spaces that are available. Its Pitch/Pitch concept can fit multiple five-a-side soccer pitches on small disused plots by stacking them on top of each other.
The caged design of Pitch/Pitch means passersby can see into the courts, while walkways around the pitches allow spectators to watch ongoing games. By stacking the facilities on top of one another, the space to play can be increased without also impacting the need for further land sites.
Like Pavegen's footstep-powered pitches in Brazil and Nigeria, the aim is to help foster community and to encourage healthy lifestyles. Architects AL_A noted that it's no longer safe for kids to play soccer in the streets due to traffic, not to mention that existing sports facilities are often oversubscribed and costly to use.
Where there are five-a-side pitches, they are routinely spread across a ground-level area, which isn't the most efficient use of space. There's no reason, though, that such pitches can't be built across multiple levels, like buildings or car-parks.
AL_A has taken advantage of exactly this possibility. Working with Arup, they have designed a modular system of pitches with a lightweight carbon fiber frame. Additional levels can be added without adding much weight (relatively speaking) and, therefore, without the need for a huge supporting structure.
Integrated lighting means that the Pitch/Pitch soccer pitches can be used at night and weather conditions will no longer decide the fate of games before they have had a chance to be played. The system can also be constructed quickly and easily, with a view to being installed temporarily on derelict or vacant plots. AL_A suggests Pitch/Pitch installations could be erected for events as short as a fortnight or for extended periods of a year or more.
The pitches need not just be used for soccer, either. They could be adapted for sports like basketball, hockey, and tennis or used for exercise and dance classes. AL_A is currently working with partners to finance and roll-out the Pitch/Pitch concept across London. With increasing concerns about obesity rates across the world, this idea could prove to be a way to connect people with playing fields in high-density areas.
