Populous' French national rugby stadium to be built following contract milestone

by Kim Megson | 24 Jun 2016

France’s rugby federation has reached an agreement with contractor Ibelys to begin building a new 82,000-capacity home for the sport in Paris.

The planned stadium, designed by Populous, will form the heart of a new leisure district planned for the French capital.

In addition to hosting all French national team home matches, the multi-purpose stadium will also accommodate conventions, shows and other sporting events. The capacity can be extended to as much as 100,000 for concerts.

According to the Federation Française de Rugby (FFR), the project will be “the largest roofed entertainment venue in the continent”. Both the pitch and the 60,000sq m (646,000sq ft) roof will be retractable – a combination that no other stadium in the world features – offering flexibility for use, delivering an intense atmosphere for matches and ensuring fixtures can take place throughout the year.

"This ground-breaking new stadium has been designed for the family of French rugby, and inspired by the vision of the FFR,” said Populous principal and project lead François Clément. “The stadium will consist of unique spaces to catalyse the fervour of the French fans, create places for the venue to thrive throughout the year, and will nurture the dreams of generations of current and future fans.”

French Prime Minister Manuel Valls has signed a Contract of National Interest that gives priority and state support to the project. The next stage of development will now begin, with the submission of a planning application, supported by the local authority.

Serge Blanco, FFR vice president, said: “We had a vision. Populous turned that vision into a stadium like no other; a stadium for the fans, a stadium that will secure the future of French rugby.”

Populous have collaborated on the project with local architects Ateliers 2/3/4, structural engineers Egis, roof and pitch consultants Uni-Systems and landscape architects Vogt.

Ibelys is a partnership of four separate construction and logistics companies: Icade, Besix, Ineo and Axima.

Populous and Egis were recently announced as advisers on venue design for Paris’ 2024 Olympic bid.