Playscraper, a Skyscraper Composed of Tennis Courts
Imagine responding to a service by Roger Federer with a backhand and, in the meantime, being able to admire your city from above. It looks like a scene from a science fiction film and instead it is the latest project by architect Carlo Ratti, founder of the Carlo Ratti Associati studio, and Italo Rota, founder of the studio of the same name.
More: Carlo Ratti, Italo Rota h/t: collater
It is called “Playscraper” and looks like a skyscraper 300 feet high, or just over 90 meters, which literally consists of 8 tennis courts positioned on top of each other.
It is a modular building. Each court represents a super light structure, thanks to the use of stainless steel. The two long sides are closed and an electronic facade is incorporated on one of them where you can follow the sports and matches of your favourite players. The two short facades, on the other hand, are composed of two huge windows offering a panoramic view of the city.
“Playscraper”, which was developed for RCS Sport, was not designed for a particular place, quite the contrary. The architects were inspired by the dense annual sports calendar and thought of a structure that could follow it. This is why the skyscraper can be easily dismantled and rebuilt, travelling from London, to Wimbledon, to Melbourne, for the Australian Open.