Tešanj Municipality modernised the Gimnazijalsko sports ground in the city centre

Who stands behind the project

The Municipality of Tešanj undertook the reconstruction and refurbishment of the "Gimnazijalsko" sports ground, one of the central sports and recreational spaces in the urban part of the city. The goal of the project was to create a safe, functional, and modern space for daily sports activities, especially for children and young people living in the surrounding neighbourhoods.

"Gimnazijalsko" was not a new project on a new site. It was an active location already in use - a place where children from the surrounding neighbourhoods gather, where informal sports competitions take place, where young people meet after school. That is precisely why renovation was necessary: so that the space that people already live in becomes safe, functional, and modern.

What was done - two LOTs in parallel

The project was carried out under a clear division into two contractor agreements running simultaneously:

LOT 1 - Construction and insulation works

• carrying out preparatory and earth works
• forming the base layer and paving the sports field
• drawing lines for multiple sports disciplines - small football, basketball, handball
• installing sports equipment - goals, baskets, and more

LOT 2 - Assembly works

• installing a load-bearing steel structure for the stands
• covering the stands with galvanised plasticised sheet metal to protect spectators from weather conditions

Both LOTs were carried out in parallel according to a dynamic plan, which meant that works did not clash and time was not lost waiting for one phase to finish before another started.

Readiness - a complete main project

Project documentation was not improvised. The main project was developed by an authorised design company on the basis of the investor's request. The project covered the full renovation of sports facilities, stands, and accompanying infrastructure, including:

• small football and basketball courts
• covered stands
• sports equipment, protective fencing, lighting, and video surveillance
• paths, green areas, and resting zones
• a modern children's playground within the complex

What mattered was that the first phase of the project had already been realised. Before these LOT works, the installation of video surveillance, the construction of the children's playground, and the arrangement of paths and green areas were completed. These works continued on already prepared infrastructure, which made the project more efficient and economical.

Innovation - an intergenerational public space

"Gimnazijalsko" was not just a sports ground. The project turned it into an intergenerational public space combining:

• a sports field for children, young people, and recreational users
• covered stands for spectators and sports events
• a modern children's playground for the youngest
• paths and green zones for walks and rest

All in the same location. Parents can bring children to the playground, an older brother or sister plays basketball on the court, the mother or father sits on the stands or passes through the green path at the same time. Three generations in the same space, without one disturbing the other.

This model is not common in municipalities of this size. Separate playgrounds for children, separate courts for youth, separate walkways for adults are usually built, and then no one meets anywhere. "Gimnazijalsko" was an attempt to put that together, in one place, in the city centre.

Additionally, the project envisaged a modular structure of the stands and multifunctional use of the field, which means the same space can be adapted for tournaments, workshops, promotions, sports camps, and public events without the need for further construction.

What this brought to Tešanj

• Tourism and sports capacity - the possibility of organising tournaments, sports camps, and public events that gather visitors from other cities and regions
• Standard of living - an arranged, safe, and attractive public space in the urban part of the city raises the community's image
• Support for the local economy - more events mean more users, which means increased demand for hospitality services in the immediate vicinity: shops, bakeries, cafes, fast food
• Long-term sustainability - quality materials and standards mean minimal maintenance costs, while the urban location ensures constant use

The message of the project

With this project, Tešanj did not build a monument, it built daily use. To generations of children and young people who already use "Gimnazijalsko", and to those yet to come, it provided a space where play, sport, socialising, and recreation are joined in one.

Now that the project is completed, the ground is not "just another nice facility", but a place that works every day and that is reflected in a healthier, more active, and more connected Tešanj.