Multi Sports Centre, Denmark

Combining indoor activities with daylight and fresh air

In the beautiful historical surroundings of Holmen – a previous military area in central Copenhagen – an innovative new sports centre opened in 2013. The company responsible for this unusual design is COO Architects, a Copenhagen based studio with great experience in public building. The architects made the bold decision to introduce daylight and fresh air into the building, using venting skylights – a move, which is rather uncommon in gymnasium design.

The modular skylight solution consists of four longlights with a 20° pitch, the three of them located in the 2500 m2 gymnasium with a total of 60 VELUX Modular Skylights.

All four longlights are facing north and placed in light wells to ensure smooth, functional lighting that won’t interfere with the activities below. The orientation also protects the athletes from experiencing direct sunlight during the day. A number of modules include venting capabilities to ensure a fresh indoor climate, which is ideal for workout, public meetings and other cultural events.