The new sports facility of the Stanislaw Staszic University of Science and Technology in Krakow will be supplied with two large sports halls along with all the infrastructure. The roof of the building will house green gardens. A building permit has just been issued.
AGH is the second largest university in Malopolska. In 2019, more than 25,000 male and female students studied in 62 faculties. So it's no surprise that the teaching is investing in sports infrastructure that will meet all its needs. These include sports activities of the AZS AGH section, P.E. classes for students, sports and recreational activities for employees, retirees, doctoral students and AGH students and their families. The area of the new development will be large enough to also allow the company to come out with a sports and recreational offer for the local community. Two large halls will be built, one of which will be able to accommodate 571 spectators.
Design of the new AGH sports hall
© ARP Manecki
not just soccer
The author of the hall's design is ARP Manecki Design Studio. The priority when designing the building was to accommodate various functionalities. Dr. Eng. arch. Mateusz Manecki ARP Man ecki says:
We designed a foyer with catering space, as well as adequate rooms for staff - academics, coaches, instructors. With other sports and recreational interests in mind, there will also be two gyms, two fitness rooms, four squash bases and a sauna.
The building consists of three parts: the first is facilities, offices, gyms and fitness rooms. The second is a large hall with an auditorium for 571 seats, and the third part is a training hall with a full-size field without stands. What's more, each hall can be divided into three training fields, meaning six groups can train at the same time.
The division of the building into three parts is visually emphasized by the colors of the facade, which are also a reference to the colors of the university. The largest part with the auditorium is white. The black part, which is the link between the halls, is the one housing offices, gyms and fitness rooms. Meanwhile, the third part, the training hall, will be gray in color. The new facility will also be adapted to the needs of the disabled.
greenery and leisure space
A major attraction is to be the spacious green garden designed on the hall's roof, with many benches. Students, University employees and even football fans will be able to relax in it. However, this is not the only plant element in the project. As explained by Dr. Eng. arch. Mateusz Manecki:
The biggest challenge, however, was saving the several-meter-tall trees. We decided together with the investor that 3 trees will be relocated. One will be replanted in the corner of the building so that it can blend in and continue to grow.
He also stresses that the facade of the building will relate to the dormitories and greenery, so that the building will blend in with the existing architecture. The new facility will be built on the AGH campus, in the area of Buszka, Tokarski and Armii Krajowej Streets.
The interior of the hall with the colors of the university
© ARP Manecki
great needs of the university
Until now, AGH had two halls that did not meet their needs. There is no room in them for fans who come to watch teams playing in league games. Anna Żmuda-Muszyńska, a spokeswoman for AGH explains:
Sports activities, in addition to academic activities, are the second extremely important branch of our development. Let's remember that in the Academic Championships of Poland we have held leading positions for years. In the classification of technical universities, we have managed to maintain our leading position for three consecutive seasons. Therefore, our latest investment is a response to the growing sports needs of the AGH community. The new facility will allow us to increase opportunities for students' sports development, as well as for organizing competitions at the university.
AGH has been successful in the field of sports. AZS AGH has three men's teams participating in league play in: basketball (AZS AGH Kraków, which competes in the second division), volleyball (AZS AGH Kraków plays in the first division), handball (AZS AGH Kraków second division) and an extra-league badminton team.
The issued building permit paves the way for the project's implementation. The university has begun work on preparing the site for the investment. The opening of the tender procedure, for the selection of a contractor for construction works, has been made.
