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Rehabilitation of the Lonay sports and leisure center: bringing different uses together

ID card

  • Name of the project: Lonay sports and leisure center

  • Location city/canton: Lonay, canton of Vaud

  • Type of project: Public space

  • Project start date: 2013

  • Delivery date: 2018

  • Surface area of ​​the AMEX project: 33,500 m2

  • SIA phases: 31 to 53 according to SIA105

  • Architect: Brodard and Billiaert architects

  • Partner company: Nicolas Fehlmann Ingénieurs Conseils SA

The mission

✔️ Integrate the sports and leisure center into a residential context.

✔️ Ensure the harmonious cohabitation of different sporting uses.

✔️ Question initial uses to propose a new layout.

✔️ Take advantage of the topography to play with level differences.

The brief

This restructuring project for a sports and leisure area is located in Lonay, in the canton of Vaud. The center includes a wide range of facilities with football, tennis, pétanque, running, long jump, as well as a sports hall. As the amenities, the refreshment bar and the changing rooms are aging, the municipality initially called on our office to question the feasibility of a redesign project.

During this first stage, we identified the needs of the various stakeholders (sports clubs, associations, schools, etc.) and drew up an inventory to propose an overall plan of what the sports and leisure area could become, taking into account has a complex topography. Seduced by our proposal, the municipality launched a call for tenders to which we responded with a group of agents. Our initial involvement in defining the vision of the project certainly helped us to win this second mandate.

Transform an aging sports and leisure area into a dynamic and meeting center

With the exception of the sports building, the entire sports area has been completely redesigned and redeveloped.

One of the needs of the municipality of Lonay was to maintain the presence of two football fields. These two grass pitches were constrained by the weather conditions. We proposed replacing one of the pitches with synthetic to allow more intensive use throughout the year, while reviewing the templates in order to make them correspond to the standards of the Swiss Football Association. The two tennis courts have also been renovated to provide a more suitable playing surface, while reducing maintenance needs. The pétanque has a dedicated area which can be extended if necessary to host large-scale tournaments.

In addition to these sports facilities, a free-use grass area has been created with a reinforced surface to accommodate various events and municipal activities. Connecting these different uses, the refreshment bar is developed at the heart of the project, facing a panoramic view of the landscape of the lake and the Alps.

The idea is to create a plant screen around the site to promote the landscape integration of the sports complex. Many trees have been planted on the outskirts, particularly on the north side surrounding a residential area of ​​villas. Embankments, meadows and wooded areas complete the plant palette and contribute to the shade of children's play areas.

Concerning mobility, the crucial issue for this type of project lies in the management of parking spaces and accessibility for people with reduced mobility. During sporting events, the complex must be able to facilitate and streamline vehicle traffic. Parking lots have been created behind the main building and along the road to the southwest to minimize the impact on surrounding residential areas.

A sports center in tiers on the landscape

To meet topographical constraints, the sports area is separated into two levels, connected at different points. The roof of the building housing the changing rooms, community rooms and rooms intended for associations becomes a promontory with a view of the lake and the Alps. The refreshment bar naturally finds its place there, connecting the lower and upper shelves. This terrace continues into a promenade punctuated by planting areas and relaxation areas. A concrete stand connects the grass football field at the top and the synthetic one at the bottom. All the spaces were worked on set, which was not easy at the time as there was no BIM yet! We had to draw all the cuts to carefully adjust these level sets.

Bringing together different uses within the same sports area

The main challenge of this project is to bring together various uses, offering great versatility. The multiplicity of actors (municipality, sports clubs, associations, schools, local residents, etc.) implies seeking the needs and expectations of each, to succeed in making them coexist harmoniously within the same area. In addition to the varied sports facilities, premises for young people sit alongside communal meeting rooms in a unique mix of practices and frequencies of use. The strength of this project is to combine seemingly completely different uses, in a cohabitation which ultimately works without conflicts.

A unique execution to meet the challenges of a busy leisure area

The rehabilitation of the Lonay sports center stands out for its ability to satisfy the varied expectations of club members. His particuliarity ? Having commissioned a synthetic football field during the construction period with all that security and public accessibility entails. The gradual implementation of the equipment resulted in a rather unusual construction time frame. A challenge for agents, but real added value for users of the premises and inhabitants of the commune of Lonay.
“What I really like about this project is that we managed to ensure that all these superimposed uses do not conflict and work in harmony.”
F. Christopher
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