The entrance is located at the intersection with DeMix and has a grand appearance due to the void. The catering area has a cool and attractive look by expanding the neutral base of grey, white and wood with some dark tones.
Transformation sports and event complex Merwestein Nieuwegein

- Size
- approx.. 19.000 m2 GFA
- Commission
- Integrated design
The sports and events complex Merwestein is located in the heart of Nieuwegein in the Merwestein district. The complex consisting of a sports hall, a spacious pool area, meeting rooms, catering and large events hall has played an important sporting and cultural role for society in Nieuwegein for over 40 years. After several renovations over the years, the complex is now once again ready for a large-scale transformation.

By means of co-creation, the revitalization of Merwestein has been thought about together with the employees. This resulted in a number of functional wishes and ambitions. For example, the existing pool area will be upgraded, the dry sport will be expanded, more multifunctional and public spaces will be created and the building will be made more sustainable.

The existing swimming pools will be renovated while the rest of the building will be demolished to make way for a new construction. A brand new main entrance lobby with a catering area will be realized at the position of the current main entrance. The entrance has a large void which creates a beating heart in the centre of the building.
The new sports hall will be positioned on the first floor, making it possible to provide the ground floor of the complex with more transparent functions such as dojos and meeting rooms. In addition to the sports hall, a foyer area, meeting rooms and the public gallery for the instruction pool are situated on the first floor.
On the second floor there are office spaces, equipment rooms and the grand stand for the sports hall with a capacity of 800 people.

The Merweplein on which the building is located is almost completely paved. To create a nice contrast the facades are covered with plants.
On the side of the parking lot, the facade is mainly covered with vegetation, so that the natural appearance predominates at every corner of the parking lot. To give the facade direction and scale, the facade is divided by horizontal lines and closed metal “pixels” run around the corner from the west facade and fan out over the greenery.
The canopy creates some automatic distance from the functions on the ground floor, the use of vertical slats provides some extra privacy without closing the facade completely.

At the edges of the large volume, the vegetation runs “around the corner” and is interspersed with bronze-coloured metal plates. The strong horizontal lines are even more visible here and guide visitors from the esplanade towards the entrance.
The transparent base increases the connection between the entrance, the catering and the esplanade.
Besides Merwestein, the building houses the DeMix gym. DeMix is situated next to the main entrance of Merwestein and will also be included in the façade image of Merwestein.
For the interior, a neutral base with gray tones, white and wood has been chosen. The neutral base will be complemented with colour accents that match the various functions and the desired appearance.
The main entrance with the catering area is situated at the esplanade.

The sports hall which spans over two floor levels is located on the first floor. The use of wooden laminated beams and columns creates a repetitive playfull look of lines on the ceiling and walls. The addition of a deep green-blue tint to the floor and on one of the walls gives the sports hall a warm and at the same timeless appearance.
The existing swimming pool area will be renovated and not rebuilt. To create an attractive and challenging space for all ages, a light base with natural tones will be complemented with fresh and pronounced color accents. In the language of form, round lines and cut-outs are used. This makes it possible to give it a new look with minor interventions.

Essentially revitalizing a building is the most circular construction method. By renovating the existing pool area and rebuilding only the entrance zone and dry sport elements, maximum efforts are made for circularity.
The materials used in the newly constructed elements is circular where possible. Ecology has also been considered. The facades of the sports hall are designed as a green facade and green will be enhanced in the building its surroundings as much as possible.

The careful use of energy is more important than ever. For example, the new Merwestein will be disconnected from the district heating and will receive a full All-Electric installation. Due to the high energy demand of the building, not only the roof, but also the facades are fitted with PV panels. Despite the fact that the building will be about 60 percent larger than it is at the moment, Merwestein’s energy consumption will be halved after the revitalization.
Furthermore, water is also handled with care. The water that collected from the roofs will be buffered in the closed outdoor pool and will be reused as swimming pool water.