From technical prowess to organisational challenges.
Our priority was to turn Jacky Lorenzetti's singular vision into a major property programme. With a capacity of up to 40,000 people, the arena is the largest covered modular venue in Europe and houses 31,000 m2 of structurally insulated offices for the Hauts de Seine local government authority.
Long-term assignments
The initial scope of our mission was unique, with achievements such as a completely synthetic pitch covered with protective tiles, removable and rail-mounted stage curtains, a complex network of stage hanging beams, telescopic stands and the indoor temperature carefully regulated by air handling units. The building also houses 31,000 m2 of office space in its southern wing, which adds to its versatility.
We also carried out additional project management consultancy assignments, in response to the various changes in the programme, in the aim of providing effective solutions to meet the project's contingencies. Such was the case for the installation of high-density Wi-fi, the deployment of all-LED sports lighting or the support we provided to operators in the design of refreshment stands.
The construction of the steel structure was a real challenge. The mission of the Egis group's consulting teams then continued through to the drafting of the Arena's maintenance contract and the organisation and scrutiny of the resulting invitation to tender.
Coping with the complexity of the project
Naturally, any project of this scale is fraught with obstacles... In particular, we had to deal with twenty or so legal challenges to the building permit, which delayed the start of work by about a year. The work site also encountered several technical difficulties, which caused a nine-month delay.
Obstacles can be overcome by making careful use of the skills of each participant: technical assistant, project manager, the builder, the inspection body, etc.
When it came to Egis, in addition to the technical challenges we faced, another major issue was to maintain continuity among our contributors over such a long project period, which stretched over about 9 years.
