Unendliche Flugbahn
Artistic competition proposal for the new sports hall in Friedrichsthal
Artist: Lina Mazenett
Collaboration: Steffen Landwehr
Invited competition / 2026
Infinite Trajectories is an artistic and architectural concept developed by artist Lina Mazenett in collaboration with Steffen Landwehr for the new sports hall in Friedrichsthal. The project explores the relationship between athletic movement, ritual, astronomy and community.
At its centre is the ball as an archetypal spherical form — a terrestrial counterpart to the celestial bodies of the moon and planets. The concept draws on the cosmological significance of ball games in Mesoamerican cultures, where sport was understood as a ritual dialogue between earth and sky. The movement of the ball symbolised the trajectories of celestial bodies, transforming physical activity into an expression of rhythm, balance and cosmic order.
The design translates this idea into a contemporary sports hall: a space for daily movement, social interaction and intergenerational participation. Architecture becomes the setting for a dialogue between physical activity, community and a wider cosmic imagination.
The central artistic intervention is located on the rear wall of the spectator stands. A lunar analemma forms the geometric basis of the artwork — an eight-shaped trajectory created by recording the position of the moon at the same time throughout a complete cycle. The resulting figure transforms temporal movement into a spatial image, connecting repetition, variation and cyclical time.
The analemma simultaneously evokes the trajectory of a ball moving through space. Orbit, rotation and gravitybecome shared principles between astronomical movement and athletic activity, linking the scale of the human body with that of celestial bodies.
The artwork is set against an intense ultramarine blue background, referencing historical representations of the sky, including Giotto’s frescoes in the Scrovegni Chapel. The 28 lunar phases are rendered in silver leaf, creating a reflective surface that responds dynamically to changing daylight and artificial illumination. The contrast between the matte blue and reflective silver gives the wall an atmospheric depth beyond the physical boundaries of the sports hall.
The graphic intervention extends beyond the wall and into the architecture. The flowing geometry of the lunar analemma continues across the glazed doors and windows, visually connecting the interior with the surrounding landscape and forest. Translucent blue architectural film and silver plotted elements integrate the lunar phases into the glazing, creating a continuous artwork that moves between wall, glass, interior and exterior.
Through the interplay of architecture, public art, astronomy and sport, Infinite Trajectories transforms the sports hall into more than a functional building: it becomes a shared spatial experience of movement, time and community.
