Gymnastics and Celebration Hall, Muntlix

The old schoolhouse in Muntlix was originally built in the 1960’s. The town took the opportunity to give the village, scattered over large area, an attractive centre suitable for varied purposes and celebrations.

From the front, the hall is in keeping with the neighbourhood of large farmhouses, barns and smaller sheds, which line the village street. The timber cladding also corresponds to the buildings of the region. From the light, almost elegant area created with a ‘glass cube’ under the canopy that houses the cafeteria terrace, it is easy to see that it is a public building.

To the south, the hall is flanked by a massive extension which is separated from the main building with a glass-roofed channel. In the basement are the workroom, library and bar. On the hall level above it are the kitchen, cafe and storage rooms. Stairs and bridges on both floors make the connection between the separate components of the complex.  The building functions incredibly well, and has to as it houses the changing uses of the schools and clubs, the management of the hall as a venue and the storage of the gymnastic equipment. In terms of design, the hall body remains untouched, because all the serving rooms are housed in the separate new wing.

The exposed concrete wall of the service area is the view from the hall, the front of which is fully glazed. On the opposite side is a large window that gives the view across to the green. Daylight is provided via a box-like skylight over the entire longitudinal axis. The stage is hidden behind the eastern end wall and can be folded out as and when needed. Across the hall entrance are a narrow auditorium and a control room.