A (Short) List of New Permanent Venues Built for the Paris 2024 Olympics

The Paris 2024 Olympics, which run from July 26 to August 11, make this city the center of world attention. Besides sports, the global community is also observing the host city as they have committed to reducing carbon emissions by half compared to previous London 2012 and Rio 2016.

The Paris 2024 Olympics (cr: olympics.com)

Although many are skeptical and even see it as greenwashing, the committee is working seriously to become the First Olympics in line with the Paris Agreement on Climate Change by 2015. They planned everything carefully, from venue connectivity to public transportation networks, athletes’ accommodation and mobilization, furniture, sports equipment, and even the selection of food served to the athletes.

The Paris Games significantly minimizes the construction of new permanent structures to lower the carbon footprint, with 95% of venues using existing and temporary buildings. Compared to Tokyo 2021, which previously prioritized sustainability as well with only eight new permanent venues, Paris goes further with only two.

Aquatics Centre

Located in Saint-Denis, the Aquatics Centre was built as a venue for artistic swimming, diving, and water polo. VenhoevenCS, together with architect partner Ateliers 2/3/4/, designed the pool according to sustainability priorities and Olympic standards so that it would be welcoming to the athletes and could remain alive afterward.

Aquatics Centre (cr: Salem Mostefaoui)

The construction uses a timber frame featuring an impressive curved wooden roof designed with minimum height for tribune, people, and sight lines, thereby minimizing the air conditioner workload. In addition, the roof also has several solar panels, making the sports facility one of the largest solar farms in France. Inside, the pools are innovatively designed modularly with adjustable floors, making them versatile for various events. In addition, all the seats are made from 100% recycled plastic.

The seats are made from recycled materials (cr: Salem Mostefaoui)

“As designers, our aim was to create more with less: less volume, less materials, less energy, more connection, more inspiration to exercise, more nature, more flexibility, more beauty,” the studio said.
Interior (cr: Salem Mostefaoui)

After the Games, the center will continue to serve as a sports complex open to the local community. The construction of the Aquatics Centre ensures a long-term legacy and is a valuable investment for Saint-Denis.

The structure (cr: Salem Mostefaoui)

Porte de la Chapelle Arena

La Chapelle Arena is the only new permanent venue built in central Paris, with a capacity of 8,000 spectators. Since its inauguration in February 2024, this venue had been used for a French basketball championship, before the Olympics started.

Porte de la Chapelle Arena (cr: Nicolas Grosmond)

The facilities (cr: Nicolas Grosmond)

The stadium, which will house badminton and rhythmic gymnastics, was designed by local architectural firms SCAU and NP2F. The arena uses biomaterials such as wood and low-carbon concrete that are mixed on-site to reduce travel emissions. All the plastic seats inside are made from recycled materials, as is the aluminum cladding. Furthermore, the design team also recycled more than 990 tons of construction waste.

Interior (cr: Nicolas Grosmond)

Apart from meeting Olympic requirements, Paris has also needed a medium-sized venue for a long time, so the arena's construction also complements the city. The hall inside is designed to be flexible and equipped with other facilities, such as a gymnasium. After the Olympics, La Chapelle Arena will continue to host various events, ranging from sports competitions to concerts.

Sports fields (cr: Nicolas Grosmond)