Herzog & de Meuron
Competition
2010-2011
Project
2011-2012
Realization
2013-2015

A Stadium for Bordeaux

The new Bordeaux stadium appears light and open; it is elegant, if such a term can be used for a building of this size. Its purity and geometrical clarity inspires a sense of monumentality and gracefulness. One might be tempted to draw a comparison with a classical temple, but unlike the elevated plinth of a temple, the grand stairs of the stadium blur the boundaries between inside and outside. Countless columns standing on the stairs accompany the visitors on their way in and out of the stadium. The fusion of stairs and columns forms a gesture of openness and accessibility.

Special attention was paid to the integration of the structure into the grand landscape of Bordeaux. The meticulous geometrical arrangement of bowl structure and columns reflects the pattern created by trees and paths in the surrounding landscape. This stadium is made for this specific place – an open, flat landscape in immediate proximity to the Bordeaux Exhibition Centre stretching along the lakefront. “Elegance” has become a depreciated term when describing architecture, but wrongly so when one looks at Bordeaux’ urban and architectural legacy. We were never looking for inspiration in the historical part of Bordeaux with its breathtakingly beautiful buildings and monuments all made out of typical limestone. Much of what we perceive as elegance in Bordeaux results from its unity and homogeneity of scale and materiality and from its precision and purity of form. We could not copy this, but we certainly learned from it.

A Bowl for 42’000 people

Seating a maximum of 42,000 people, the bowl embraces the game area, its geometry affording optimal visibility for all, along with the maximum flexibility in terms of capacity and usage. The stadium is multifunctional and conceived to welcome a rich and diversified program: not only rugby and soccer matches but also shows, concerts, and corporate events.

The bowl consists of two superposed tiers divided into four sectors and protected from the elements by the roof. The underside of the visually uniform roof guides the eye onto the playing field while allowing sunlight to pass through. Its structure does not show through on the inside of the stadium, to avoid distracting the spectators’ attention.

Raising the bowl above ground level is a compact base housing all the programmatic functions in a uniform and symmetrical volume. This plinth includes the VIP spaces evenly distributed east and west, and media areas adjacent to the spaces dedicated to players. The architectural simplicity and pure lines of the bowl and its base ensure smooth spectator flows and ease of orientation.

Plinth, Bowl and Roof

The bowl rests on a plinth, covered by a sharp-edged rectangular roof. The choice of this pure and almost abstract form responds clearly and efficiently to the site’s natural conditions and to the main flow of spectators from east to west.

This white rectangle seems projected earthwards thanks to the multiplicity of slender columns that shower down. A ribbon of food stalls and restrooms undulates through this forest of columns, brought alive by the movement of the crowd. At once dense and light, this structure creates an evanescent rectangular volume from which the sculpted and organic outline of the bowl emerges.

This architectural concept gives a specific identity to the new Bordeaux stadium. The diaphanous volume opens up to the surrounding landscape while the grand stairs express openness and accessibility for everyone. Its transparency reveals all the energy and activities that will transform this piece of land into a new and vibrant part of Bordeaux.

Herzog & de Meuron, May 2015

367_CP_150518_002_PRI
367_CP_150518_002_PRI
367_CP_150518_003_PRI
367_CP_150518_003_PRI
367_CP_150523_758_RHA_H
367_CP_150523_758_RHA_H
367_CP_150518_008_PRI
367_CP_150518_008_PRI
367_CP_150518_009_PRI
367_CP_150518_009_PRI
367_CP_150518_011_PRI
367_CP_150518_011_PRI
367_CP_150527_925_IB_U_4429
367_CP_150527_925_IB_U_4429

Drawings

367_DR_1110_020_Diagrams
367_DR_1110_020_Diagrams
367_DR_150518_003_LEVEL-1_E
367_DR_150518_003_LEVEL-1_E
367_DR_150518_001_SITE-PLAN_E
367_DR_150518_001_SITE-PLAN_E
367_DR_150518_005_LEVEL-3_E
367_DR_150518_005_LEVEL-3_E
367_DR_150518_007_RCP-PLAN_E-01
367_DR_150518_007_RCP-PLAN_E-01
367_DR_150518_009_SECTION_S2_E
367_DR_150518_009_SECTION_S2_E
367_DR_1110_021_Section-W
367_DR_1110_021_Section-W
367_DT_1208_PROARCDET581BB
367_DT_1208_PROARCDET581BB
367_DT_150518_007367_DR_150518_002_ROOF-DETAIL-1
367_DT_150518_007367_DR_150518_002_ROOF-DETAIL-1
367_DT_150518_008367_DR_150518_003_BOWL-DETAIL
367_DT_150518_008367_DR_150518_003_BOWL-DETAIL

Team

Facts

Client
ADIM Sud-Ouest (Vinci Construction), Mérignac, France CPI SOMIFA (Fayat Group), Floirac, France
Planning
Design Consultant: Herzog & de Meuron France SARL, Paris, France
Executive Architect: Groupe 6, Grenoble, France
Quanity Surveyor: Mazet & Associés, Paris, France
Electrical Engineering: Egis BĂątiments Sud-Ouest, Toulouse, France
HVAC Engineering: Egis BĂątiments Sud-Ouest, Toulouse, France
Mechanical Engineering: Egis BĂątiments Sud-Ouest, Toulouse, France
Plumbing Engineering: Egis BĂątiments Sud-Ouest, Toulouse, France
Structural Engineering: Cabinet Jaillet-Rouby, Orléans, France
Structural Engineering: Structures Ile de France, Montrouge, France
Civil Engineering: Ingerop, Courbevoie, France
Landscape Design: Michel Desvigne Paysagiste, Paris, France
Maintenance: Vinci Facilities, Rueil Malmaison, France
Specialist / Consulting
Acoustic Consulting: IdB Acoustique, Pessac, France
Building Physics Consulting: Egis BĂątiments Sud-Ouest, Toulouse, France
Civil Engineering: Ingerop, Courbevoie, France
Lighting Consulting: Agence ON, Paris, France
Security Consulting: Veritas France, Cestas, France
Fire Protection Consulting: SSI Coor, Cestas, France
Signage Consulting: Agence Franck Tallon, Bordeaux, France
Pitch Consulting: ATE, LigniĂšres les Roye , France
Building Data
Site Area: 2'011'880 sqft, 186'910 sqm
Gross floor area (GFA): 829'789 sqft, 77'090 sqm
Number of levels: 5
Footprint: 489'542 sqft, 45'480 sqm
Length: 764 ft, 233 m
Width: 688 ft, 210 m
Height: 121 ft, 37 m
Links
nouveau-stade-bordeaux.com

Bibliography

Luis FernĂĄndez-Galiano (Ed.): “Arquitectura Viva Monografias. Herzog & de Meuron 2013-2017.” Vol. No. 191-192, Madrid, Arquitectura Viva SL, 12.2016.

“Herzog & de Meuron. New Bordeaux Stadium (France).” In: Luis FernĂĄndez-Galiano (Ed.). “Arquitectura Viva Proyectos.” Vol. No. 068, Madrid, Arquitectura Viva SL, 2015. pp. 54-67.

Luis FernĂĄndez-Galiano (Ed.): “Arquitectura Viva MonografĂ­as. Herzog & de Meuron 2005-2013.” Vol. No. 157/158, Madrid, Arquitectura Viva SL, 09.2012.

Location