8 Boxes and 10 Gardens: A Sports Facility Integrated with Nature

Status: Proposal

Architect: FDA

Location: Daegu, South Korea

Project Type: Competition

 
 

The 10 gardens create a series of intimate outdoor spaces where indoor programs can spill out, facilitating more activities with fewer buildings.

 
 
 

The proposal, 8 Boxes and 10 Gardens, organizes the sports facility program using intimate-scale garden spaces as buffers between programmatic volumes. These gardens maximize daylight and natural ventilation throughout the facility.

Though not immediately visible from the outside, these hidden outdoor spaces provide flexibility and independence for a variety of individual outdoor activities. Five of the ten gardens extend to the lower level, enhancing natural ventilation, daylighting, and visual continuity between the upper and lower levels.

The series of interconnected gardens remain open to the public, effectively allowing visitors to navigate the entire site from all directions. As the site slopes downward toward the west, a significant portion of the lower level is exposed above grade, benefiting from natural light and outdoor views.

 
 
 
 

Garden Spaces

The gardens are intentionally open and flexible, featuring granite pavers or gravel surfaces, with one or two trees per garden to support a variety of programming possibilities. These gardens also connect the buildings, greeting visitors at the entry and guiding them to the gymnasium, lobby, locker rooms, or café. Open to the public, no membership is required to enjoy the gardens.

 
 
 

Program Boxes

Lobby & Rock Climbing Space

The lobby, coupled with an 11-meter-high rock climbing area and monumental stairs, features floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall glazing. Acting as a lantern, the lobby is visible from outside and establishes a strong visual connection along an axis that extends through Hyunpungjungang-ro, the rock climbing room, the northern garden, the proposed bridge, and the sports park.

Positioned at the heart of the complex, the lobby serves as the facility’s single control point, ensuring efficient operations and seamless visitor circulation from all entry points.

Multipurpose Gymnasium

The multipurpose gymnasium is a 39m × 43m open space with north-facing openings to reduce reliance on artificial lighting. Equipped with 850 retractable seats, the gym maintains a clean, rectangular layout that allows for various programs such as job fairs, farmers' markets, voting, and art exhibitions.

The openings, fitted with blackout curtains and screens, enable the space to transform into a dark room for performances or film screenings as needed.

Daily Sports Facilities

Two identical 15m × 20m rooms accommodate daily sports activities. These spaces feature soundproof divider walls, allowing them to be subdivided into four smaller rooms as needed.

Dressing & Shower Rooms

Dressing and shower facilities are located on the lower level, surrounding the two-story-high courtyards, ensuring convenient access and privacy.

Café

Positioned near the Hyunpungjungang-ro entrance, the café is designed to operate independently from the rest of the complex, providing a welcoming space for visitors and the broader community.