One of the world’s most magnificent timber roofs could be built in Brazil after New York-based Victor Ortiz revealed plans to construct the country’s largest private tennis court in Cuiabá, Mato Grosso – close to the geographical heart of South America.
The GS Tennis Court for Mato Grosso – designed by Victor Ortiz Architecture, with support from Gerad Epp’s StructureCraft and local mass timber fabricators Timbau Estruturas:
“Spanning up to 60m (200 feet), the GS Tennis Court introduces the structural concept of achieving curves using straight timber beams,” according to StructurceCraft. “The 2,500 square metre (27,000 square feet) domed roof opens to a central oculus that allows for unobstructed views of the sky, and the undulating structure peels up at the bases to provide glimpses of the surrounding nature.”
Drawing inspiration from the radial structure of sea urchins, “the goal was to create a space that not only maximises material efficiency but also allows for impressive spans,” according to Designboom, which wrote about the project late last year. Beyond its function as a tennis court, the building also includes a sports hall—encompassing a spa area, change rooms, an industrial kitchen, and lush indoor landscaping featuring local flora.
According to Victor Ortiz Architecture, the new design’s choice of timber is part of a growing demand for sustainable design in public and private sports facilities. Developers are increasingly turning to all-timber, timber-and-steel, or timber-and-concrete to build the next generation of high-performance facilities. Last year, Wood Central revealed that the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club replaced its “ageing concrete dome” with a timber-curved roof made from a steel-and-timber hybrid system in time for Wimbledon.
“The pre-curved Birch veneered panels lining the ceiling still give a sense of the handcrafted quality we originally aspired to,” according to Mike Taylor, the Principal of Hopkins Architects, who added that the (new) indoor (practice) courts optimise playing conditions, with perforations in the pre-curved timber roof panels enhancing acoustic conditions.
- To learn more about the push to build more Brazilian buildings out of wood, including the Hanger Museum, click here. And to learn more about Victor Ortiz’s plans for a 48-metre-high timber observation tower will rise over Kenya’s iconic Maasai Mara wildlife reserve, click here.
