New complex to support Karcag athletes

Delicately curved wooden structures, fresh colours and functional spaces come to life as Karcag's rebuilt sports ground is opened. The Municipality of Karcag awarded the contract for the construction of the complex in the spring of 2022 to a consortium of ZERON Zrt. and Prím Építő Kft., based on the designs of LINERA Mérnöki Iroda Kft..

Lightweight buildings, consistent spatial organisation

For many locals, the Sports Ground has been of particular importance, as many of them started their sporting careers here or gained life-changing experiences through sport. However, the facility was outdated and its fields were not up to modern standards, so the city council decided to renovate it.

In addition to the football pitch, the construction of the stadium also provided the town of Karcag with a grandstand, an indoor artificial turf pitch, changing rooms, a running track, gym, table tennis, wrestling and squash halls, and accommodation for a training camp.

Curved, glued timber-framed structures dominate the buildings. These, and the 1800 m² of brick cladding that contrasts with the dynamism they create, are both the work of Attila Turi, who contributed as the architectural designer. A 50 kWh capacity solar panel system was installed on the roof of the Main Building, which, in cooperation with the heat pump heating of the buildings, ensures long-term economical and as climate-neutral as possible maintenance.

New attraction on the outskirts of the city

The Ligeti Road Sports and Recreation Centre was renovated with a HUF 9 billion grant from the government as the first development of the Erzsébet-liget project. As Tibor Szepesi, mayor of Karcag, pointed out regarding the role of the centre:

"In several sports - football, basketball, wrestling, karate, triathlon, table tennis - we have given the Hungarian sport a junior team of athletes who can be counted on in their adult life. A recent notable football achievement is Kevin Varga, who was brought up in Karcag and has become a key player for the adult national football team."

The "Elizabeth Grove" project, initiated by the local municipality and recently implemented, is located right next to this sports centre. It is also the site of the Hungarian pavilion at the Milan World Expo, one of the longest cycling pump tracks in Central Europe, a 200 square metre three-generation playground and several community spaces - the Rónai Mill and Life air quality demonstration building.

"On the other side of the Elizabeth Grove, the mayor added, tourists and those who want to relax will find the Akácliget Spa in Karcag, whose development is also planned. Thus, together with the development of the sports centre, an important tourist destination has been created, as the two projects are adjacent to each other, and the interconnection between them is fully ensured and could significantly increase the attractiveness of the city."

Total transformation

In addition, the project manager of Zeron Zrt. helped us to learn more about the details of the construction. As we were informed, in addition to the new grass pitch and the new running track on the 25 456 m² site, the main building of 2855 m² was built on the western part of the site, with the grandstand, where the contractor has installed the players' changing rooms and other service facilities under the grandstand. There is also a gym, wrestling room, squash court, aerobics and table tennis rooms, while the ground floor of the building provides access to the grandstand.

"The grandstand structure was built using traditional building materials, with a prefabricated reinforced concrete structure and a steel roof structure," said the project manager, "with an open plywood-glued timber roof over a slab supported by reinforced concrete pillars."

On the eastern side of the site, a new 1823 m2 covered artificial turf hall has been built, with a grandstand above the necessary changing rooms and bathrooms, especially for the visiting fans of the football pitch, with a straight flight of steps leading up from both sides. This solution allows for a good separation of home and away fans, and even for separate access. The covered artificial pitch is formed by a reinforced concrete pillar and a glued wooden frame, the roof of which extends above the stand-changing building to provide a roof. The building is constructed of traditional building materials, with a flat, monolithic structure, masonry and sandwich panel walls, and a laminated glued wood roof structure.

The old entrance to the Karcag Sports Ground has been replaced by a new 821 m2 reception building, which not only houses the cashier's office, the reception and the buffet, but also the administrative offices and even servants' apartments. The complex building is made up of two separate units, connected by an external corridor on the upper floor and unified by the end slab.