Aluminium is adorning more and more innovative building structures around the world primarily for it formability and lightweight advantage. The rounded shell of a school sports hall near Prague is aesthetically covered and disguised with reflective aluminium panels.

The sports hall is designed by a local architectural firm Sporadical in the town of Dolní Břežany, to the south of the Czech capital. The hall can be used by the school and public for sports and as a cultural venue.

According to the architect, the building's semi-spherical unique form gives it a distinctive contemporary feel. The neutral design complements the evolving urban context, while also covering the overall mass of the building.

"The dome draws the scale closer to humans, the metallic surface mirrors the surroundings, while the borders of the sky and of the roof remain blurred," said the architect. "The building camouflages its real dimensions and looks smaller than it is in reality," he added.

The mutely reflective aluminium shingles installed on the building's exterior create a smooth and seamless surface. The aluminium cladding is fitted to curving walls made from load-bearing reinforced concrete. A latticed steel frame encloses the column-free interior.

A waterproof membrane, perforated by light tubes on a section of the roof funnels daylight into the sports hall. It is supported by an artificial lighting system linked to automatic sensors.  

The interior is designed by a similar material palette to complement the new school and white and grey surfaces are combined with larch cladding.