Ciutat de la Pilota, (indoor court)
Valencian Pilota “joc de la pilota”, a traditional handball sport in this area, has always been played in the streets of our towns and cities. The street has been our official playing field.
We organized a “Ciutat”, (town), in which the streets and the square, clearly outdoor urban spaces, form part of it; since we can visualize all pilota games in the program. After all, the game is also played in them.
The topography allows direct access to two split-levels:
The lower level is dedicated for the sport’s practice. It encloses the playing courts and players’ (pilotaris) additional spaces, all resolved with natural ventilation and lighting.
The higher level is intended for spectators, from where they can enjoy the game; nothing prevents vision, always going down, never up. It is an arched plane by the horizontal transparencies. The game walls are the ones setting the visual boundary.
The structure in contact with the ground is solved with white reinforced concrete walls. The roof structure is solved with metal beams of up to 55,00m. Light. Tempered glass has a leading role in defining game spaces.
First prize awarded
Architects (M.Arch):
Luis Carratalá Calvo
Roberto Santatecla Fayos
José Santatecla Fayos
Sara López Collado
Marcelino Daudén Albiach
Competition 2001
Implementation Starting date 2003 – Under construction