ANTIFRAGILITY IN SPORTS ARCHITECTURE: Hydra - Sports Training Academy for the Highlanders

Abstract

Antifragility is described as something that gains from disorder, as something that thrives on stress. As in sports, how the constraint of the presence of a defender pushes the sportsmen to come up with creative responses to create space: Sport is architecture on the field. Dynamic responses of attacking and defending in the field, the players expand and constrict the space, their movements and tactics activate the spaces far beyond the arena itself. The sports training academy for the highlanders aims to take into focus all of its weaknesses and constraints, and enables them to become the very feature in the project. These kind of responses have become important given the extreme environmental conditions of the region of Hunza, where the site is located, and how they have adapted to it, giving them a physical edge. The people of the region are fanatic about sports and have a great number of unexplored talent that has not been made use ofbecause of lack of infrastructure present within Pakistan. The site has the Hunza river flowing by which has a history of flooding, so we respond to it by channeling it into a water body within our academy. This water body adds recreational and aesthetic value to the academy in the summer, but in the winters it freezes up to make an ice skating rink that promotes professional and recreational winter sports. The academy focuses on another psychology elements, which is a derivative of the antifragility concept: Synergy. The main sporting activities within the academy flow linearly through the building, although the narrative from outside to inside for the trainee shifts and narrows down their focus towards their purpose. The wings of the buildings contain supporting activities that support not only the athletes through recovery but also the sustenance of the operations and improvement of the building. The academy encompasses sporting, educational, medical and recreational facilities that make use of the scenic views of Hunza.