DPA to add retractable roof to suzanne lenglen tennis court in paris

dominique perrault architecture (DPA) has won a competition to transform the suzanne lenglen tennis court in paris with a delicately pleated retractable roof. the arena is the second largest court at roland garros, the venue that each year hosts the french open tennis tournament. with its new enclosure, the stadium seeks to precisely fit into its context, between nature and the city. in the design of the mobile cover, the team expresses influence from pleated fabric unfolding lightly within a solid frame. the relationship between the rigid steel structure and the flexibility of the mobile canvas helps to shape the identity of the project, a design-minded mechanical precision.

image © dominique perrault architecte/adagp/FFT | video © RSI studio

dominique perrault architecture proposes its pleated, retractable roof as a PTFE membrane that is pure, minimal, and fully apparent. the delicate structure is made up of a succession of 21 modules of stretched V-shaped canvas, continuously fixed between cables. each module is approximately 5 meters wide and 44 meters long. when the roof is deployed, the cables are tensioned to take up rain and wind loads. a mobile girder on the north side of the mobile roofing is provided for its drive during the unfolding and folding operation. deployment of the fold along the rails triggers horizontal movement, from south to north. as soon as the positioning of the cover is in place, a show begins.

image © dominique perrault architecte/adagp/FFT

the retractable roof seems to float above the court, atop an assembly of steel elements on a concrete structure. by generating a dialogue between a new flat horizontal surface and the existing curves of the side stands, the project enhances the geometry of the suzanne lenglen court. this relationship to the existing building serves to preserve its architectural integrity. the court is named for the french tennis icon suzanne lenglen, who symbolized the freedom and elegance associated with athletic performance. the design team seeks to retranscribe, through architecture, both precise and delicate, the temperament of this avant-garde woman who, almost a century ago, marked tennis history.

image © dominique perrault architecte/adagp/FFT