School gymnasium in Abidjan, Ivory Coast by Koffi and Diabaté Architectes

This school gym in Abidjan, though large, is a more frugal example of the type. Necessity becomes a virtue, however, thanks to an elegantly lightweight design that shrouds the concrete and steel structure of the building in a double skin of metal mesh, with a striking red external layer. This perforated covering allows light and air to penetrate the building, cooling and illuminating it naturally. Within the base are changing rooms, a lecture hall and a gym, while upstairs are several multi-purpose sports pitches, seating for 200 spectators and what the designers claim is the first indoor climbing wall in West Africa.