The challenge
Significant sporting events present an opportunity for urban transformations. This was the goal for L'Île-Saint-Denis.
The solution
Bringing our engineering expertise, we designed this project to be reversible under a duel-stage permit - a first for France.
The impact
Designed with legacy in mind, the Athletes’ Village will transform L'Île-Saint-Denis as an eco-district after the Games are over.
47,000
square meters
6.5
football fields
320
dwellings created for residents after the Olympic Games
The Challenge
L'Île-Saint-Denis was selected to welcome the athletes, bringing pride to the city. Post-competition, the goal of SEM Plaine Commune Développement, the Île-Saint-Denis municipality and the Olympic Works Delivery Company (SOLIDEO) was to create a new neighbourhood for the residents of Île-Saint-Denis, enriched with modern amenities.
This project harmoniously integrates the requirements of hosting athletes and the vision of providing a fresh district for residents following the sporting event. The commitment to environmentally sustainable design and construction practices was embedded in the design.
The Solution
The L’Ile-Saint-Denis River Eco-District Athletes’ Village is the first French project designed to be reversible under a dual-action building permit to leave a lasting sustainable urban legacy for residents.
To meet this requirement, two projects were designed as one. Initially, 15 specifically tailored buildings will provide accommodation for 2,700 athletes and their companions. Once the athletes have left, the site will be transformed into a new eco-district.
Designing a reversible project is a real technical challenge which required working closely and collaboratively with our developer partners and architects from the Pichet Legendre group. Together, we meticulously planned structures and spaces to seamlessly transition post-competition, ensuring adaptability for varied purposes.
The elevators, technical ducts and cable trays were designed and positioned so that they can be used during both phases of the project and could adapt to different uses. Work has also been carried out to propose materials with a lower carbon impact (decarbonised concrete, wood, etc.) and reusable when the Athletes' Village is transformed into an eco-district. The sustainable design is part of the DNA of the project. By prioritising reversibility from inception, excess resource consumption is mitigated, sparing the need for extensive future modifications and preserving environmental integrity.
The Impact
The transformation of the Athletes' Village into a Fluvial Eco-District will be able to begin as soon as the competition is over.
The residents of the 320 housing units, including social housing, along with the students living in the residence, will have access to retail outlets and recreational amenities such as the nautical base and the city of arts. These facilities will also be open to employees working in offices and guests of the hotel situated on the island, all in alignment with the eco-district's ethos of carbon consciousness.
The first residents should be able to take possession of the premises in mid-2025.
