An exemplary aquatic center, an innovative facility in Saint-Denis

Omnes, Bouygues Bâtiment Île-de-France and Récréa entered into a 20-year concession agreement with the Métropole du Grand Paris public agency to design, build and operate the aquatic center and pedestrian link.

VenhoevenCS (Amsterdam) and Ateliers 2/3/4/ (Paris) came up with the concept, with Bouygues Bâtiment Île-de-France constructing the center and Bouygues Travaux Publics constructing the bridge alongside it. Récréa will run the facility under a delegated public service agreement. Dalkia, an EDF subsidiary, will provide the center’s technical maintenance services and has made energy performance commitments.

Investing in a pioneering project

Caroline Yametti, Partner at Omnes commented: “The architectural aspirations, the sustainable innovation, the technical and energetic performance, as well as the
versatility and modularity of the spaces in preparation of the Heritage phase, make this an iconic infrastructure project. At Omnes, we are proud to support such a landmark project, which will help advance social inclusion in Saint-Denis and beyond.”

One of France’s largest urban roof-mounted solar farms

“Our project is fully aligned with the energy transition and the imperative of treading more lightly on the environment since it has put wood at the heart of the structural design,” said Clémence Le Moyne de Sainte Marie, Head of project contracting, Bouygues Bâtiment Île-de-France. The facility’s largely wood-based structure helps to reduce its carbon footprint. The roof’s concave shape helps to lower energy consumption. Photovoltaic panels will cover almost the entire surface, generating 25% of the facility’s demand for electricity. This roof-mounted solar farm is set to be one of France’s largest.

The rainwater collected will cover half of the center’s requirements, including for watering green spaces and cleaning. Designed entirely from recycled plastic, the stadium’s seats were manufactured in France by Le Pavé. 8.5 metric tons of local plastic were reused.

Adaptability, modularity and social inclusion

The project’s strength also lies in its adaptability. The pool’s movable floor and adjustable side walls can be configured to accommodate the requirements of high-level competitions, the general public, schools and athletes. In addition, additional space will be rented to a variety of sports operators: Arkose (climbing), Le Five (padel, tennis) and Récréa (fitness). With a restaurant, bar, sport recycling facility and an urban park, this multi-sport venue will become a bustling hive of activity for all the local area’s inhabitants.

The CEP fund’s role is to finance assets designed to meet the relevant environmental regulations, with an emphasis on low-carbon footprint and high energy-efficiency structures. The combination of each stakeholder’s expertise helped to deliver the site in a record time of a little over three years.

First published in Scope Spring 2024