Grand Palais Éphémère by Wilmotte & Associés – ©Wilmotte & Associés Architectes.
Architecture–The major renovation of Le Grand Palais and temporary arenas under the Eiffel Tower, by the Versailles Castle, and in Place de la Concorde, where guillotines used to run during the French Revolution. Sustainability is fil rouge behind the Paris Olympics architecture.
- RELATED STORIES: Find out more about the Paris 2024 Olympics on Archipanic.
Aquatics Center by VenhoevenCS and Atelier 234 – ©Salem Mostefaoui.
So far, most host cities, from Rio de Janeiro to Tokyo, have built brand-new large sports venues. Paris took a different approach by repurposing and renovating existing venues to minimise new construction. Indeed, the Aquatics Center is the only new architecture in town. We round up eight of the best venues hosting the Games.
Eiffel Tower Stadium
Photo by 2024 Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The Champ de Mars public gardens are where Parisians meet and celebrate. The temporary arena under the Eiffel Tower stages the beach volleyball and blind football events. After the Games, the venue will be dismantled and will continue to be a magnificent setting for living, gathering, and meeting.
Château de Versailles
Photo by 2024 Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games.
A temporary outdoor arena hosts equestrian and modern pentathlon events at the Versailles Castle’s historic gardens, where King Louis XIV used to stroll. The historical landmark was the first French site awarded UNESCO World Heritage status in 1979.
Aquatics Center
Located in Saint-Denis, north of Paris, the Aquatics Center is the only permanent new building for the 2024 Games. It will host artistic swimming, diving and water polo events. VenhoevenCS and Atelier 2/3/4 created a venue mainly made of timber, featuring an 80-metre-long wooden roof. Covered with photovoltaic panels, the architecture is one of France’s largest urban solar farms. Le Grand Palais
Le Grand Palais
Photo by Laurent Kronental for Chatillon Architectes.
The Grand Palais, one of the French capital’s most timeless monuments, reopens to the public after a full renovation by Chatillon Architectes to stage the fencing and taekwondo competitions. Originally built for the Paris Exposition Universelle in 1900, the historic building is set to astonish visitors with over 6,000 tonnes of steel, superb glass roofing and an Art Nouveau-style stairway [Read more].
Le Grand Palais Ephémère
©Patrick Tourneboeuf for RMN.
During the renovation of Le Grand Palais, Wilmotte & Associés created a modular wooden structure wrapped in a plastic skin to host major art and fashion events. For the Games, the temporary venue becomes a vibrant arena for judo and wrestling competitions.
La Concorde temporary stadium
Photo by 2024 Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games.
In Place de la Concorde, skaters will jump where heads fell during the French Revolution. The temporary stadium will also host 3×3 basketball, BMX freestyle, and breaking- one of the sports debuting at the Olympics. The Paris 2024 Organising Committee’s architecture team conceived the venue as an urban park with scaffolding-like seating stands.
Adidas Arena
Photo by Nicolas Grosmond.
Badminton and gymnastics events take over the Adidas Arena. Designed by SCAU and NP2F, the venue was inaugurated earlier this year, keeping more than one eye on sustainability. Indeed, concrete was mixed on-site to reduce emissions, while the 8,000 seats and aluminium cladding are made from recycled materials.
La Défense Arena
Photo by Nicolas Borel.
Christian de Portzamparc designed La Défense Arena, an aluminium and glass-clad sports venue in Nanterre, just outside Paris. Completed in 2017, the stadium has been fitted with a temporary swimming pool for swimming and water polo events.
Le Grand Palais, renovation by Chatillon Architectes – Photo by Laurent Kronental for Chatillon Architectes.
