School buildings are a privileged context for the realisation of multi-purpose fields or multi-sport facilities, capable of offering students and teachers complete structures, where they can adequately practice sports disciplines that are also very different from each other and numerous collateral activities (afternoon courses, student assemblies, etc.).
Moreover, the flooring and equipment of these facilities often have to meet different requirements. These facilities are not only used by students and teachers, but can also be shared with amateur and professional teams and thus used more intensively. Similarly, these facilities can host cultural events, exhibitions or demonstrations.
A distinction should be made between two main types of sports facility, which can usually be associated with school buildings: the multipurpose sports facility and the multi-sport facility.
A multi-purpose sports facility or multi-purpose facility is a versatile facility designed to host both sporting and other activities: from school canteens to entertainment events, such as exhibitions and fairs, music concerts, theatrical or school performances. It is not uncommon, in fact, for book exhibitions, school plays or dance recitals to be organised in school sports facilities, which thus become places for meeting and sharing.
A multi-sport facility, on the other hand, is mainly designed to offer users (professional or amateur sportspeople, students, athletes) the possibility of practising different disciplines within the same space. These sports facilities have to meet the needs and requirements of widely differing sports.
School gyms as multi-purpose and multi-sport facilities
School gyms are a clear example of a multi-purpose and multi-sport facility. In addition to these two facilities, there are also municipal halls, which are sometimes used as school gyms.
By its very nature, this type of sports facility is often utilised by heterogeneous users and can therefore host not only sports, but also cultural, recreational and leisure activities. When designing a multi-purpose or multi-sport facility, it is therefore essential to consider the flooring and the equipment to be installed, both in the case of new constructions and when modernising existing gyms. With regard to the flooring, in particular, it will be necessary to consider the heterogeneity of use of these structures, in order to choose flooring that is safe, durable, easy to clean and maintain, and able to withstand stresses that are not only of a sporting nature.
School gyms are a clear example of a multi-purpose and multi-sport facility. In addition to these two facilities, there are also municipal halls, which are sometimes used as school gyms.
By its very nature, this type of sports facility is often utilised by heterogeneous users and can therefore host not only sports, but also cultural, recreational and leisure activities. When designing a multi-purpose or multi-sport facility, it is therefore essential to consider the flooring and the equipment to be installed, both in the case of new constructions and when modernising existing gyms. With regard to the flooring, in particular, it will be necessary to consider the heterogeneity of use of these structures, in order to choose flooring that is safe, durable, easy to clean and maintain, and able to withstand stresses that are not only of a sporting nature.
The choice and construction of sports floors for school gyms and sports facilities in Italy is governed by the UNI EN 14904:2006 standard entitled "Surfaces for sports areas - Multi-sport surfaces for indoor use - Specifications". This is the main standard in force that specifies the requirements for surfaces for indoor multi-sport facilities (the European standard has, in fact, also been incorporated into Italian legislation).
To choose the most suitable sports flooring for your indoor facility, it is important for designers and architects to consider:
After defining these elements, and after a possible comparison with the users who will use the facility (from coaches to athletes, up to the managers of the facility), it will be important to evaluate the different types of flooring available on the market. The aforementioned EN-14904-2007 standard identifies three main types of sports flooring suitable for the case:
Point Elastic synthetic flooring is characterised by its versatility and low maintenance requirements and can be the ideal solution for multi-sport, multi-purpose facilities.
Resilient sports surfaces in vulcanised rubber have a number of advantages that make them particularly suitable for use in multi-sport multi-purpose facilities:
MONDO works with architects and designers, helping them to choose the best sports flooring for school gyms. Two concrete examples of successful collaborations are the realizations of the Gymnase in Dieppe and the public schools in Oklahoma City.
The new multi-purpose school sports facility in Dieppe, inaugurated in 2014, houses a multi-purpose gymnasium with MONDO rubber sports flooring, chosen for its technical characteristics of resilience, solidity and resistance to wear. This MONDO sports flooring stands out not only for its technical characteristics, but also for its respect for the environment (MONDO has certified its indoor rubber sports flooring with the EPD - Environmental Product Declaration) and for its ease of maintenance, which translates into a minimum of effort in terms of routine maintenance.
MONDO also proved to be an important partner in the construction of the new of the city of gyms for public schools in Oklahoma City. The advice of MONDO's technicians guided the designers towards the choice of vulcanised rubber surfaces, which are cheaper, more sustainable and easier to maintain than the initial requests for wood or PVC flooring. MONDO's vulcanised rubber sports surfaces fully meet the architects' requirements: they are quality surfaces, resistant to wear and easy to maintain, which can be easily customised, either by combining different colours or by creating customised logos.
MONDO works with planners, architects, engineers and designers to develop, supply and install sports surfaces and flooring that can meet the specific design requirements of school sports complexes.
Are you planning a multi-purpose sports facility or a multi-sport facility and looking for more information on the most suitable surfaces and flooring for your project? Contact MONDO to speak to a technical sales consultant.