Sports Halls & Gymnasiums

Sports halls and gymnasiums host basketball, volleyball, futsal, badminton, table tennis, martial arts, school physical education and community events. They need a large, column-free space with enough height for the ball to fly, good light without glare, and a comfortable climate for players and spectators. A pre-engineered steel building is a natural fit: long clear spans are what the system does best, and the hall can be extended later with seating, changing rooms or a second court.

Size the hall from the court

Each sport has a court size plus a safety run-off around it. A basketball court is 28 x 15 m and a volleyball court 18 x 9 m, and both need extra space on all sides for run-off, benches and officials. A hall about 32 to 34 m long and 19 to 20 m wide fits one basketball court for community play; competition halls are larger. Multi-sport halls often fit one basketball court or three badminton courts in the same space. The clear span is chosen so that no columns stand inside the courts or run-off zones.

• Clear height is measured to the lowest part of the roof structure, lights or ducts, not to the ridge. Basketball usually needs about 7 m; badminton and volleyball more, and competitions follow the rules of the sports federation.
• The eave height of the building follows from the clear height needed over the full court width, taking the roof slope and the depth of the rafters into account.

Light without glare

Players look up at the ball, so direct sunlight and bright spots in the roof cause glare. Daylight should be diffuse: high-level wall glazing along the sides, or translucent roof panels that spread the light evenly. Avoid windows at the ends of the courts at eye level. Electric lights are mounted high, in line with the courts, and their weight is a collateral load.

Heat, air and sound

A hall full of active people produces heat and moisture. Roof insulation cuts heat from the sun, ridge ventilators and low-level louvers move air through the hall, and large ceiling fans help where there is no air-conditioning. Hard surfaces and a metal roof make a hall noisy; an acoustic liner under the roof or absorbent wall panels reduce echo, which matters when the hall is also used for assemblies and events. Heavy rain on a metal roof is loud, which insulation also reduces.

Walls and impact

Balls, players and equipment hit the walls. The lower part of the wall is often concrete block or impact-resistant lining, with metal wall panels above. Keep girts and bracing flush or protected so there is nothing to run into.

Seating, changing rooms and stores

Seating for spectators can be along one side under a lean-to, or on a mezzanine viewing gallery. Changing rooms, toilets, an equipment store, a first aid room and an office fit in lean-tos or a two-storey block at one end. Wide doors let equipment and stage elements in for events.

Shelter use

Large public halls are sometimes used as emergency shelters. If that is planned, tell the designer: it can affect the wind design, the doors and the services. See design codes and loads.

Public safety

Exits, seating, fire safety and access for people with disabilities follow local rules, decided with the owner's architect and the authorities. See fire protection.

What to send for a quotation

Send the sports and the level of play, the number of courts, the clear height required, seating, changing rooms and other spaces, and the site location. World Steel engineers the frames, mezzanines and envelope and supplies the drawings and calculations.