Located at Sha Tin Tau Road, easily accessible from the nearby MTR Che Kung Temple Station and Chun Shek Bus Terminus, a new sports centre, Che Kung Temple Sports Centre, has just opened for public use since 17 September. A lot of thought has been put into the design of this new sports centre. In particular, architects have deliberately broken the tradition of adopting an all-indoor layout for sports centres. Instead, with transparent layering, the indoor and outdoor areas are connected to integrate with the surrounding landscape. Apart from offering a wide range of recreation and sports facilities, the centre also provides a comfortable place full of nature for neighbourhood residents to hang out and take a break in. This time, I have invited the project team of the Architectural Services Department (ArchSD) to share with us the details of the sports centre.

Connect different facilities with a layered layout

Unlike traditional sports centres, the Che Kung Temple Sports Centre has adopted a layered layout to maximise the sense of spaciousness. Senior Architect of the ArchSD, Mr LEUNG Kin-hong, Donald, says to us that corridors and staircases are built throughout the premises to enable visitors to easily access different floors, facilities, courtyards and terraces, and to encourage interactions among users. For example, large-size glass panels are used in the children’s playroom on the ground floor to let in the views of the forecourt; at the same time, one can see the indoor corridor and other activity rooms through the high windows on the other side, the visual connection among the three areas gives a sense of spaciousness, openness and brightness. Moreover, the architects deliberately do away with air-conditioning in all open access to promote natural ventilation and also let in sunlight, thereby protecting the environment and reducing electricity consumption.

Letting in sunshine and natural scenery

The sports centre is located in a peaceful environment with a backdrop of the mountains. Taking advantage of the natural setting, the project team has adopted floor-to-ceiling transparent glass panels to let in natural views to various indoor areas. The design focuses on brightness and transparency to give a more open view, breaking the tradition of adopting an all-indoor layout for sports centres in Hong Kong. Besides the trees specially planted by the project team in the atrium, the natural light coming in through the glass ceiling also creates a natural and comfortable environment.

Different materials for indoor and outdoor areas to give different feelings

The Che Kung Temple Sports Centre is the seventh public indoor sports centre in Sha Tin District, and provides facilities including a multi-purpose arena, which can serve as two basketball courts or two volleyball courts or eight badminton courts; a dance room; an activity room; a table tennis room; a fitness room; and a children's play room. Architect of the ArchSD, Mr SUEN Chun-sing, says that different finishes materials are used in indoor and outdoor areas to give people distinctly different feelings. Fair-faced concrete is mostly applied to the façades to give a natural and raw feeling. On the contrary, wooden and warm-coloured materials are used mainly on the walls and floors of the arena to create a relatively warm environment.

An oasis in the city

Since the commissioning of the facilities and public spaces of the Che Kung Temple Sports Centre, it has become neighbourhood residents’ go-to place for exercise and rest. I believe that users will be able to feel the sense of nature and comfort offered by the premises, green landscapes and surrounding scenery while using the various facilities. As colleagues of the ArchSD say, it is hoped that the new sports centre will become not just a sports centre serving the local residents, but also an oasis in the city.