Populous create plan for 'greenest ever' games

The Paris Olympics 2024 is notable for transforming the city itself into a sporting venue, with Tenderstream member Populous’ designs for the city’s bid books in 2016 laying the groundwork for an ambitious concept that utilises temporary venues set against the backdrop of historic buildings, streets and landmarks. Populous was commissioned by the Paris Organising Committee to leverage its extensive experience dating back to Atlanta 1996, including designing the main stadiums for Sydney 2000, London 2012 and Rio 2016.

The masterplan for Paris involved the installation of 38 venues across the city, including sites at the Champs Elysees and alongside the River Seine, as well as beach volleyball at the foot of the Eiffel Tower. It also established a sustainable approach, with temporary infrastructure used for 95% of the venues, alongside careful planning for the long-term legacy use of permanent venues.

Exemplifying sustainable venue development is the Yves-du-Manoir stadium in Colombes, where the field hockey competition will take place. The stadium was the main venue for the 1924 Paris Olympics and hosted the 1938 World Cup Final, while also gaining fame for the races depicted in the film Chariots of Fire. A century after its first Olympics, Paris 2024 has been the catalyst for the venue's redevelopment, with the addition of a new main stand, training pitches and staff offices. Populous, in collaboration with the Spartner consortium, spearheaded the design of temporary stands, infrastructure, and event overlays. Post-Games, the venue will transition into the headquarters for the French Hockey Federation. 

The official slogan for Paris 2024 is ‘Games Wide Open’.  When working on the original bid, Ben Vickery, senior principal at Populous’ London office, stated: "Bringing people together to enjoy an unforgettable experience is the overriding ambition of Populous in all that we do and is at the heart of the Paris 2024 vision. The city of Paris will be a magnificent Olympic Park, and transforming some of the world’s most beautiful and historic sites into temporary stunning stages for sport will provide unforgettable images around the globe."

Lucy Nordberg
Tenderstream Head of Research

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