Hala Widowiskowo-Sportowa im. Mieczysława Łopatki

The Hala Widowiskowo-Sportowa im. Mieczysława Łopatki does not announce itself from the outside like a cathedral or a town hall. It sits quietly on ul. Sportowa 3, tucked into the osiedle Tysiąclecie between the green of Park Piastowski and the water of Jezioro Jelonek. A visitor driving past would see a block of concrete and glass, unremarkable against the skyline. The name on the door tells you nothing about the geometry of the roof.

What the building is, you find out when you step inside. The space is defined by its date: it opened in 2018, which means the floor is a modern synthetic surface. The capacity of 1,200 seats fits within a single bowl.

The hall carries the name of Mieczysław Łopatka, a local basketball legend, but the atmosphere is shaped more by the current tenants than by the past. You can hear the coaches shouting from the sidelines.

The building exists in the shadow of its predecessor, the older Hala Widowiskowo-Sportowa nr 2 nearby, which has undergone renovations but retains its functional numbering.