Sportanlage Hoptbühl, Villingen-Schwenningen, Germany

Hoptbühl playing field in Villingen-Schwenningen, featuring products from Polytan

A GEM OF A SPORTS FACILITY

Good things come to those who wait, including in Villingen-Schwenningen. It took 20 years for the school playing field at Hoptbühl Gymnasium to be renovated. But all is well that ends well: the fully renovated sports field is proving to be a real gem. It features various products from sports surface specialist, Polytan.

The road to the new sports facility was indeed long and rocky: barely linear, it was full of surprising twists and turns. The low point was when the dilapidated site was completely shut for safety reasons, and outdoor sport had to be removed from the school timetable. Then things started to change: in May 2019, the local council decided that the sports facility at Hoptbühl would finally be renovated. The result is an absolute gem that is unrivalled in the local area.

After 15 months’ construction time, young athletes in Villingen-Schwenningen are delighted by a new artificial turf pitch surrounded by a four-lane running track, three long jump and two high jump runways, a throwing circle for shot put, a small playing field, two beach volleyball courts, three bouldering walls and a calisthenics street workout park. The sports facility was designed by Martin B. Kuberczyk of k3 LandschaftsArchitektur, based in Villingen-Schwenningen, and realised by Erhard Gfrörer & Sohn Schotterwerk, based in nearby Empfingen.

Professional sports surfaces for successful training and competition

The new facility features LigaTurf Cross football turf, in which Polytan has successfully combined artificial turf systems with textured (crimped) and smooth filaments. The former are known for their high cost-efficiency, robustness and low maintenance, while the latter are extremely popular among footballers for their authentic ball rolling characteristics, just like on natural grass. The running track was constructed using Polytan’s Rekortan M in rainbow blue, a professional sports surface for track and field stadiums, school sports facilities and competitive running tracks. The water-permeable, pour-coated surface is characterised by excellent acceleration and high tread elasticity. Users of the calisthenics street workout park are protected by Polytan’s PolyPlay FS fall protection surface, also in rainbow blue. The bulk-coated, water-permeable covering is extremely easy to care for and, thanks to its cushioning effect, protects against injuries in the event of falls.

The attractive outdoor sports facility has been used by Hoptbühl’s 600 or so high school students since the start of the 2021/22 school year. To ensure optimal utilisation, students from the neighbouring Christy Brown School and Albert Schweitzer School can also use the facility for track and field, climbing, football or beach volleyball. In addition, the field is used by local clubs in the evening, and is therefore equipped with floodlights.

The opening ceremony for the renovated sports field took place at the Hoptbühl Gymnasium in September, with a very special sports festival: just like at the Olympic Games, classes of students entered the stadium and mastered the various facilities in no time.