48,000 euros extra costs

New gymnasium went wrong – children dizzy

A gymnasium in Bochum, Germany, deviates from the "classic design" - with unexpected consequences (symbolic image).(Bild: Imre Antal)

A construction project in Bochum, Germany, has gone badly wrong: The exterior design of a gymnasium should have been transferred to the interior. In fact, the narrow, zebra-style slat arrangement caused irritation among the pupils, some of whom even regularly felt dizzy ...

They were disoriented by the arrangement of the slats and the black and white striped zebra-style design, German media reported. This could not have been foreseen, said a spokesperson for the city of Bochum in North Rhine-Westphalia. The visual irritations were only noticed when entering the hall.

He also admitted that the background was distracting for some sports. For example, baskets and nets in the gym are barely visible. One member of the sports committee suspected that the architects had not been advised by sports experts. The gym has been used by four schools since November 2024 - two grammar schools, a comprehensive school and a secondary school.

Here you can see a picture of the gym.

Slats are now being removed again
The construction project cost almost 20 million euros. 14 of this came from the city and around five million from the state. "The height, choice of materials and design of the new building are based on the Stadthalte", according to a press release issued by the city in November 2024. The gymnasium is connected directly to the classrooms with a lift and steps.

This plan seems to have gone badly wrong: Due to the disorientation, 48,000 euros are now to be spent on the conversion. From next week, the slats will be removed and rearranged to create light and dark walls throughout. The slats will therefore be reassembled in a uniform color. The light-colored slats will then be painted again during the Easter vacations.

Incidentally, special permission had to be obtained for the demolition of the previous gymnasium. This was part of a building complex from the late 1950s that was considered an important landmark in the city's development after the Second World War.