© Stade de France ®
Macary, Zublena et Regembal
Costantini - Architects
ADAGP - Paris - 2002
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USEFUL INFO  STADIUM VISITS |
 THEATRE OF DREAMS
With a capacity of 71,000 in athletics configuration, the
Stade de France® will be a magnificent stage for the 9th IAAF
World Championships in Athletics in 2003. In its short four-year
existence, it has already joined the select ranks of the
world’s legendary sporting arenas.
A guided tour…
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1,750,000 spectators per year
1,100 places reserved for wheelchair users
A total area of 17 hectares
45 kilometres of tribunes
4 giant screens of 120 m2
7,500 m2 of hospitality areas
162 private boxes 5,000 park places
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It was during the 1998 FIFA Football World
Cup, five months after the stadium's official
opening, that the Stade de France® first found
itself in the glare of the spotlight. There followed a
string of further international sporting events, such
as the Paris Saint-Denis Athletics Meeting, the
Champions' League Final, a number of
international rugby and football matches… and
now, of course, everyone is looking forward to the
IAAF World Championships in Athletics in 2003!
Technical miracle
One of its most remarkable features is its roof, a
vast halo hovering some 43 metres above the
playing surface supported by 18 steel needles
which pass through it without touching, giving the
impression that it is floating on air. Its oval form
symbolises the universal nature of sport.
Spanning an area of 6 hectares (large enough to
fill the Place de la Concorde) and weighing in at
some 13,000 tonnes (equivalent to two Eiffel
Towers), it constitutes a feat of tremendous
technical ingenuity. This giant disc protects the
71,000 spectators without covering the playing
surface, and incorporates all the lighting and
sound equipment (550 floodlights and
36 speakers), so as not to obstruct visibility.
What's more, the lighting is specially adapted to
produce an effect as similar as possible to
daylight and to create what architects have
dubbed a "cathedral of light".
Mobile stand: 2 stadiums in 1
But the Stade de France® hides its most innovative
feature under the stands! The lower section of the
stands, comprising 25,000 seats, is actually
completely mobile. Supported by a cushion of air
to avoid damage to the athletics track, it can be
retracted by 15 metres beneath the middle
section of the stands to reveal the running and
jumping areas. This operation can be completed
within just 72 hours. This mobile stand technique,
the only one of its kind in the world, was
developed to assure maximum visibility. It allows
the arena to be converted into a 71,000-seater
Olympic Stadium and provides striking evidence
of the multi-disciplinary nature of the facilities. In
2003, the organisers will have four years
experience to call on when it comes to setting up
the stadium for athletics. The 9th IAAF World
Championships in Athletics therefore, will be
nothing if not smoothly run!
Accessibility, comfort and safety
Situated just 1.5 km from the heart of Paris, the
Stade de France® can be reached directly via two
motorways (the A1 and the A86), although the
vast majority of spectators prefer to travel there
by public transport. It is particularly well served
in this respect, by a metro line (no. 13) and two
local rail lines (RER B and D). It takes a mere
8 minutes to get there from the heart of Paris
(Châtelet - Les Halles Station), and only
7 minutes more for the athletes travelling from
their accommodation, the Cité Internationale
Universitaire in the south of the city.
The Stade de France® also sets new standards in
comfort and safety courtesy of its many large
entrances/exits (making crushes a thing of the
past and facilitating ultra-rapid evacuation, if the
need arises). All of which contributes to its user-friendly
feel, as evidenced by the family-based
public which flocks there regularly, to catch a
glimpse of their track and field heroes!
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