Sala Polivalentă „Lascăr Pană”

The hall is a functional box, not a monument. It stands at the end of a wide avenue where the architecture is equally grey and rectilinear. On the far side of the avenue, a taller, modern residential tower rises above the sports hall’s roofline, a contrast in height that suggests the city has grown around this older structure. The ground in front is paved but cracked, with black bollards marking a boundary for vehicles. Young trees line the grassy verge, their trunks thin and unsupported.

Inside, the surface is Canadian maple, a detail that separates it from the concrete courts found in many local gyms. The hall was named after the coach who led the local handball side to two IHF Cup titles in the 1980s. The team still calls this place home. The capacity is small enough that the players can see the faces in the stands, a closeness that matters more than the number of seats.

The modernisation in 2007 did little to change the exterior. The concrete baffles remain, the sign remains, and the steps remain. Only the roofline has gained a metal cladding that reflects the flat Romanian sky. The address is on the main boulevard, placing it at the centre of the city rather than on its edge. It is not a destination for tourists; it is a workplace for the athletes who train there.