I want to go there: 8 of the world’s most beautiful sports grounds

What does it take to exercise? Time, attitude, and, of course, space. Not every sport requires special equipment, but space is a must. It is much more comfortable to practice in a place that is pleasing to the eye than to come to a gym with shabby walls or to a field with a vegetable garden instead of a lawn. That is why architects and designers are increasingly paying attention not only to the functional readiness of sports facilities, but also to their aesthetics. We have gathered eight of the most beautiful sports grounds from all over the world, which are a pleasure to play on.

Rooftop Futsal, Japan

Probably the most picturesque mini-football court is located on the roof of Tokyu department store, near Shibuya station, in Tokyo. In 2001, a year before the FIFA World Cup in Japan and South Korea, Adidas Futsal Park opened there. It became incredibly popular. An hour of play on the rooftop during regular hours costs from $54, and during peak hours the price can exceed $205.

Golf course in Coeur d’Alene, USA

Coeur d’Alene Resort is located on the northern shore of Lake Coeur d’Alene in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. They obviously didn’t think long about the names there. Apparently, all the imagination was spent on the improvement of the main city resort. On its territory they built a unique golf course, the 14th hole of which is located on a mobile island. The island, built on a barge on rails submerged in water, is moved daily from 87 to 183 meters with the help of a computer. Players are dropped off by a water cab to the 14th hole.

Designer Scott Miller designed the course to resemble a park. Prestigious publications Golf Digest and Golf Magazine have recognized the course as one of the best in the United States.

Black Tennis Court, Laver Cup

The Laver Cup is an exhibition tournament between a European team and a world team. It was held for the first time ever in Prague in 2017. One of the main distinguishing features of the tournament is the black court. This color even has an official name – Laver Cup Black. The black color is not used in any of the Grand Slam tournaments. The design of the court was developed by the British company Designwerk, which has previously worked with UEFA, Nike and Manchester United.

Tony Godsick, CEO of the tournament, explains the choice of color for the court by the fact that black is a symbol of sophistication. Tournament organizers purposely slowed down the court coverage to make the shenanigans longer. For this purpose, they added sand to the paint, but in small quantities so that it would not lighten.

To draw attention to the tournament, in February 2017, tennis players Roger Federer and Tomas Berdych played on a mini version of a black court set up right on a boat. The drifting court appeared before the eyes of numerous spectators in Prague, on the Vltava River. A lot of balls were lost in it at that time.