Sports Building Erasmus University Rotterdam sportily opened

The new Sports Building on campus Woudestein was festively opened on Thursday 29 September. The day was heralded sportily with an adventurous obstacle course from the old to the new Sports Building. In the afternoon, administrators and athletes, led by professional footballer, podcast maker en alumnus Bart Vriends, talked about the importance of this sustainable sports accommodation for students, staff and (top) athletes. Ellen van Schoten, member of the Executive Board of Erasmus University Rotterdam, and Martijn de Haas, Treasurer of the Erasmus Sport Foundation, performed the opening ceremony together with athletes.

"With this sustainable and ultramodern sports facility on our campus, we encourage students and staff to exercise more and give substance to the transition to a vibrant international campus." Ellen van Schoten, vice-chairman Executive Board

Sustainable building

The main reason for the new building was the growing number of Erasmus Sport, which increased from 4,000 to 11,000 sports pass holders in the past eight years. The former 1969 building was also dated and required a lot of maintenance.

Sustainability was central to the construction of the new Sports Building, in line with EUR's ambition to become one of the most sustainable universities in the Netherlands. The building is completely energy-neutral through the use of solar panels and connection to the campus' thermal storage system. Wherever possible, recycled building materials have been used. For example, the distinctive wooden wall panels are reused floorboards from an old sports hall in Eindhoven.

More space and optimal sports functionality

With three large competition halls, two training halls and an extensive fitness facility, the new Sports Building offers athletes more space and better facilities. Moreover, the new building has been designed to provide optimal multi-functionality for the more than 50 sports Erasmus Sport offers.

"We now have an extra competition hall, including stands for 250 spectators. Whereas our sports clubs used to have to rent a hall elsewhere in the Rotterdam region, they can now play more sports on campus, with an audience," says Jon de Ruijter, director of the Erasmus Sport Foundation.

New Sports Building

Meeting place for students

Iconic part of the building is the inner street, a bright hall with lots of greenery connecting the two parts of the building. This covered street has a logistics function, but is also a meeting place for the building's users.

The realisation of the building took one and a half years and was carried out by Bouwbedrijf Remmers from Tilburg, which acquired the project through a Design & Build tender. The building was designed by VenhoevenCS architecture+urbanism from Amsterdam and meets the NOC*NSF requirements for sports halls. Contract management was provided by abcnova.