joly & loiret: le grand stade

‘le grand stade’ by joly & loiret, fontainebleau, france all images courtesy joly & loiret

paris-based firm joly & loiret have completed ‘le grand stade’, an equestrian arena with stables in fontainebleau, france. positioned along the forest edge, the structure appears to recede into the trees and blend into the earth with a cladding of black locust wood. gridded steel caging lines the sloped facade encouraging climbing plants and flowers to encompass the exterior. the boundaries of the site are loosely defined, leading into a series of horseback riding nature trails which cross under bridges for pedestrian pathways. the entrance path passes an exhibitors area and horse rest area and leading to a grand wooden stairway guiding visitors to a rooftop promenade. the boardwalk leads to the tiered seating of the main stadium and returns to the ground level again.

view of spectator seating from the practice arena

the competition area is placed within a forest clearing, bordered with a backdrop of a dense grove of trees. the horse stalls are placed around the perimeter of the buildings along the tree line. the building is fused within its surroundings, connecting the seats into the tiered terraces and into the grassy embankment below which has been molded and morphed into the existing topography. the low-profile canopy protecting the stands minimizes the visual impact of the construct.

stairs leading to the elevated promenade and climbing plants growing upon the structure’s steel caging