In Sargans, a Swiss town located near the border to Liechtenstein, a new sports centre replaces a triple gymnasium that was no longer the state of the art. Because the marshy site cannot bear large loads and the existing pile foundations were to be reused, a lightweight wood structure was the ideal response to the design problem. The client, the canton of St. Gallen, wanted a sustainable building that employs local building materials and would only require a short construction phase; these stipulations only served to underscore the suitability of wood. Not only the building exterior, but also the interior, are characterised to a great extent by the use of this material. The centrepiece of the structure is the quadruple gymnasium, an impressive space whose long sides are flanked by rooms with lower ceiling heights; while the equipment rooms are situated on the northeast side, a two-storey zone on the southwest holds the fitness room and the gymnastics spaces, as well as the foyer and the changing rooms.