PARIS LONGCHAMP RACECOURSE
DESCRIPTION
First of all, the intervention on the Paris Longchamp racecourse site creates a space whose design has been thought out in line with the prestige of the hosted events: equipment offering maximum comfort, adapted services and careful design. The project offers new flexibility by creating a wide variety of venues allowing Paris Longchamp to accommodate a greater number of people in suitable conditions. While the annual Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, one of the most prestigious races in the world, can attract up to 70,000 visitors over a weekend, the new building is flexible enough to adapt to fluctuations in audience numbers, and also to accommodate concerts and other cultural and sporting events, as well as private events such as fashion shows. This flexibility thus brings added value to the project throughout the year, outside the racing season.
The new building is also fully designed for its specific program. The reconfigured racecourse creates a pleasant space, designed for the comfort of all users of the site, public, horses, jockeys, riders, and professionals. It offers a new experience, through its design, which provides more transparency and fluidity. Its design is particularly suited to the equestrian world thanks to its fine design and shape inspired by a galloping horse. The levels, noticeably inclined towards the racecourse and slightly offset from each other, allow the best lines of sight towards the track. The pedestrian footbridge creates a new walking experience to move from one area to another and discover the horses outside of racing times.
The project also creates a unique, prestigious architecture adapted to the place. The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, that takes place every year in the fall, has influenced the golden hue of the structure. The simple materials - concrete, wood and metal - are adorned with the warm shades of golden metal, which brings a soft and shimmering glow to the whole, that matches the autumnal color of surrounding trees.
Finally, the project absolutely respects and enhances the exceptional landscape, the protected forests of the Bois de Boulogne. Open on all sides with open-air seating, terraces or platforms, the project blends architecture with nature and pays homage to the site and the tradition of the equestrian world. By its smaller footprint, the project encourages the enhancement of landscaped areas. The planted areas have been preserved, enhanced, and many trees have been planted. Also, ecological, its design encourages the use of renewable energies and the energy independence of its buildings.
DATA SHEET
Conception : 2012
Construction : 2015 - 2018
Date of completion : April 2018
Localization : Paris, France
Site area : 63 Ha
Built area : 60 000 m² (GFA)
Facility : Tribune (10 000 seats), professional areas for jockeys, restaurant with its terrace on roof, 5 reception halls, 5 bars, 1 brasserie, press rooms, grand areas for VIP
Client : FRANCE GALOP, France
Architect : Dominique Perrault Architecte, France
Art direction and and interior design : Gaëlle Lauriot-Prévost, France
Landscape architect: Agence Ter, France
Operational project management : GEMO
Civil engineers : Tractebel Engineering, France
Acoustic and Lighting expert : Jean-Paul Lamoureux, France
Façades studies : Terrell, France