Imposing exposed-concrete walls, bright window fronts, a sturdy timber roof structure and, of course, a spacious, level floor: the new sports and fitness hall at Ostfalia University of Applied Sciences in Wolfenbüttel is taking shape. Just over a year after the foundation stone was laid, Lower Saxony’s Minister for Science and Culture, Falko Mohrs (external link, opens in a new window), visited the building site on 12 August as part of his summer tour. Over three days, the Minister is visiting 13 building sites at nine universities in Hanover, Braunschweig, Wolfenbüttel, Clausthal, Göttingen, Oldenburg and Emden.
Ostfalia’s new sports hall differs from standard halls
The modern sports hall on the Exer site is replacing a previous building dating from 1939; the state and the university are jointly investing 13.15 million euros. Work is on schedule – the 1,500-square-metre hall is expected to be ready for use from the 2027 summer term. It differs from standard sports halls in a number of ways:
- The toilet and changing facilities are more spacious to ensure accessibility. “The doors are wide enough for people in wheelchairs to pass through without any difficulty,” explained Roland Distler, Head of Facilities Management at Ostfalia University of Applied Sciences.
- The hall is equipped with a lift and is fully accessible. “Here, we are enabling inclusive sports programmes as a form of self-determined participation, which is firmly anchored in our research and teaching,” said Prof. Dr Sandra Verena Müller, Dean of the Faculty of Social Work.
- In addition to specific accessibility requirements, the building must also comply with heritage conservation standards. “The hall blends seamlessly into the heritage-listed grounds at the Exer,” emphasised architect Maria Pfitzner.
- A climbing wall for sport and recreational climbing is being constructed on the western external façade. Among other things, the Faculty of Social Work will use this wall for teaching and research in experiential education.
- The entire roof will be fitted with photovoltaic panels. The university will use the solar power generated for its own consumption.
- A retractable grandstand offers seating for up to 150 spectators. This makes the hall suitable, for example, for basketball matches and league fixtures.
- The hall can be divided into sections and used by different groups at the same time.
Minister Falko Mohrs was particularly impressed by the holistically accessible design: “This is truly exemplary: it creates excellent conditions for sport, physical activity and social interaction among a wide variety of groups from the university and beyond.”
The Ostfalia Sports Hall is open to clubs and groups from the region
Jan Schröder, Member of the State Parliament for Wolfenbüttel, and Martin Albinus, Member of the Wolfenbüttel District Council, also took part in the tour. They were particularly interested in planned collaborations with Wolfenbüttel-based clubs, nurseries and workplace sports groups. “It has always been a unique selling point that we’ve been able to offer free access to the campus during the day. The new hall opens up many possibilities,” explained Roland Distler.
Separate rooms for strength training and gymnastics, an office and a seminar room are available specifically for members of the university community. Together with the Head of University Sports, Fenja Schwede, Ostfalia Vice-President Prof. Dr.-Ing. Thomas Benda is looking forward to the new hall: “The attractive facilities and wide range of uses significantly enhance our campus in Wolfenbüttel.”
