Equestrian club hall

The largest span we have built: forty metres with no intermediate column, over a length of 132 metres.

A main hall for equestrian competitions covering five thousand square metres, with a forty-metre clear span carrying no intermediate column, over an overall length of 132 metres.

The span is the decision that governed the entire design. Forty clear metres are not a luxury in an equestrian hall: the horse’s run and the jumping area need continuous space, and a single column in the middle removes the building’s function rather than merely reducing its comfort.

For a span of this size a lattice truss system was chosen over rigid frames: at very large spans a truss is lighter and more economical in material, at the cost of many more connections and longer fabrication time — and every connection is another inspection point in the quality plan.

The trusses bear on perimeter concrete columns that carry the vertical loads and resist horizontal forces, and the concrete block walls serve insulation and durability together. The roof is composite panel, for weather resistance and to limit thermal transfer across an area of this extent.