UK architects for new rugby stadium
French sports chiefs opt for Wembley designers to create new 80,000-seater park
FRENCH rugby chiefs have chosen British architects Populous to design their new 80,000 stadium at Ris-Orangis on the outskirts of Paris.
The firm, known already for 90,000-seater Wembley Stadium and the 51,700-seat Aviva Stadium in Dublin, won ahead of HKS and Foster and Partners and will work with the French partnership Ateliers 2/3/4/.
They won with a design that includes a fully-retractable roof, a pitch that slides outside so that other events can be held and a full range of public areas for different events. Construction of the €600 million project is expected to start in 2014.
Fédération Française de Rugby president Pierre Camou, Président de la FFR: “Today we have taken a fundamental step which expressed and a strong project for the FFR.”
His vice-president in charge of the project, Serge Blanco, said: “The three projects were all of a great technical quality allying innovation and aesthetics. The Populous and Ateliers 2/3/4/ plan was the best adapted to the objectives we have fixed for a multifunction stadium.”
To see more on the project, including further drawings, check the grandstade.fr website (in French).
