‘stadium du littoral’ by olgga architectes, grande synthe, france image © julien lanoo all images courtesy olgga architectes

french practice olgga architectes have completed ‘stadium du littoral’, an athletic arena catering to five different sporting disciplines in one 12 hectare site in grande synthe, france. events are facilitated with three rugby fields, two football fields, an archery round, running track, 1300m cycling ring and an upcoming BMX track. the low profile structure contains two clubhouses, locker rooms, community recreation room, administrative offices and seating for 617 spectators. a continuous banded roof spans between two volumes creating an open central void through which the landscape is framed. the supporting inverted trapezoidal bases are faced with stretched micro-perforated fabric concealing hollowed out areas. visitors access corridors through openings within the inclined partitions, revealing the glass-enclosed clubhouses with screened views of the field. together with the descending seating, the building’s profile reads as a unified entity.

olgga architectes: stadium du littoral - 2view of stands from the field image © julien lanoo

the monochromatic color pallete seamlessly integrates the diverse materials which were chosen for their durability and ease of maintenance. the outer layer of textile panels filter away direct sunlight providing thermal control in interior rooms. weight-lifting rooms, saunas, rugby and soccer facilities are housed within the concrete base. a pedestrian bridge crosses the encompassing cycling track allowing fans to freely traverse between a communal viewing terrace and the stands without interrupting the activities below. upon the roof are 700 square meters of photovoltaic panels which generate electricity to be sold back into the neighborhood’s grid. approximately 40 square meters is capable of producing 50% of the center’s hot water while rainwater is collected for use in the toilets. after the installation of a wind turbine, the grounds will produce more energy than it consumes, leading the way for public projects.

olgga architectes: stadium du littoral - 3covered seating image © julien lanoo

olgga architectes: stadium du littoral - 4pedestrian bridge image © julien lanoo

olgga architectes: stadium du littoral - 5pedestrian bridge over cycling track image © julien lanoo

olgga architectes: stadium du littoral - 6terrace accessed via bridge image © julien lanoo

olgga architectes: stadium du littoral - 7 stairs and elevator image © julien lanoo

olgga architectes: stadium du littoral - 8 cycling storage near the track image © julien lanoo

olgga architectes: stadium du littoral - 9 view of the field from upper deck image © julien lanoo

olgga architectes: stadium du littoral - 10 opening through fabric panels to access clubhouses image © julien lanoo

olgga architectes: stadium du littoral - 11 clubhouse corridor image © julien lanoo

olgga architectes: stadium du littoral - 12 interior of clubhouse image © julien lanoo

olgga architectes: stadium du littoral - 13 general stadium seating below clubhouse corridor image © julien lanoo

olgga architectes: stadium du littoral - 14 sun filtering through the stretch-mounted micro-perforated fabrics image © julien lanoo

olgga architectes: stadium du littoral - 15 changing facilities image © julien lanoo

olgga architectes: stadium du littoral - 16 at sunset image © julien lanoo

project info:

client: ville de grande synthe area: 2.433 m2 SHON budget: 4.064.389 EU program: 617 seatings / 2 clubhouses / locker rooms / offices / multipurpose room / sauna / fitness room. schedule: delivery september 2011 architect: olgga architectes (alice vaillant, guillaume grenu, nicolas le meur) consultants: sogeti engineering / abe acoustique