The Aquatics Centre, along with Le Bourget Climbing Wall, is the only permanent sports facility to be built for the Paris 2024 Games. In 2024, it will welcome the world’s greatest athletes for the artistic swimming, water polo and diving events. Looking beyond the Games, the Aquatics Centre has been designed to address the needs of Seine-Saint-Denis (its host region, and the French swimming community, which will now have a facility that can host the biggest national and international competitions.
The Aquatics Centre will connect to the neighbouring Stade de France over a footbridge spanning the A1 motorway, and is a meaningful public investment for Seine Saint Denis, which is seriously lacking in sports facilities. The Aquatics Centre’s novel configuration will be modular: it will be able to switch from a 5,000-seat venue during the Games to a 2,500-seat facility to host neighbourhood events afterwards.
The Aquatics Centre will be low-carbon and all the building materials will be bio-based. Its timber structure and roof frame are designed to blend seamlessly into the surrounding greenery. With a 5,000 sqm roof covered with photovoltaic panels, it will be one of France’s largest urban solar farms and supply all the energy that the centre needs.
The interior fittings will be made of recycled materials and made in France to showcase the country’s expertise in environmental performance.
Legacy
From swimming lessons to recreational use and high-level competitions, the Aquatics Centre will be multifunctional. From July 2025, the Aquatics Centre will become a vast multi-sports facility open to all, including two pools (50m and 25m), a fitness area, bouldering area, paddle tennis section and pitches for team sports. It will also have an adjustable floor to serve a variety of purposes (swimming lessons for babies and children, etc.). The Aquatics Centre will also be the state-of-the-art facility that the French swimming community has been looking forward to for decades. The French Swimming Federation will be able to host national and international competitions in its four indoor disciplines. The Centre will also provide a best-in-class federal training facility for leading French athletes and will notably be home to the country’s diving centre.
