Sports centre designed by Swiss architect Mario Botta opens in Ticino

Around 40,000 children and young adults from all over Switzerland visit the Federal Youth Sports Centre in canton Ticino every year. © Ti-press

Sport Minister Viola Amherd inaugurated a newly expanded sports centre on Friday at Tenero in canton Ticino. The world-famous Swiss architect Mario Botta, who recently turned 80, carried out the building's redesign.

The new building of the Federal Youth Sports Centre in Tenero, near Locarno, is designed to meet the growing demand for various sports and activities.

Parliament provided a credit of CHF45 million ($50 million) for the construction. Botta, who originates from canton Ticino, designed and oversaw the fourth part of the construction phase. 

At 80 years old, Botta doesn’t take holidays. Architecture is “a profession that allows me to age well, as long as I keep a critical consciousness”, he recently told the Swiss daily 24 heures.

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Botta wanted to create a building that would last at least a generation, he told the media on Friday. He aims for his building to be adaptable to the changing needs of young people over time. The new building has various ecological features and uses the Minergie standard, Switzerland’s label for sustainable construction. The new building contains a biodiverse outdoor space and a photovoltaic system on the roof.

The architect prefers to use natural materials in his designs. But Botta goes much further when it comes to the importance of respect for the past and the ethical purpose of architecture. The aim, he says, should be to “offer good quality living values as opposed to merely aesthetic images. The search for a better quality of life is ongoing through the search for a better space for life”.

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The new construction expands on sports centres existing structure. The expansion consists of a double hall for the arts and gymnastics, a cafeteria with 440 seats, 13 theory rooms and an auditorium for conferences for up to 250 participants. The Federal Youth Sports Centre was built in 1984 and a first extension followed in 2001.

Amherd described the completed construction as a “milestone in the development of the Federal Youth Sports Centre and thus also for the federal government’s promotion of sport”.

A press releaseExternal link by the Swiss sports ministry (available in DE, FR and IT) stated that around 40,000 children and young adults from all over Switzerland visit the Federal Youth Sports Centre in the commune of Tenero-Contra, Ticino.