Two months ago, Paris’ La Defense Arena was alive with the sounds of Taylor Swift, as she captivated her audience during her Eras Tour.
Fast forward to today, and the venue is undergoing an incredible metamorphosis in preparation for the Olympics.
The £300 million arena, normally home to the Racing 92 rugby team and their star player Owen Farrell, is now gearing up for a different kind of excitement.
As of 10:00 AM on Saturday, La Defense Arena will transform into a prime spot for Olympic swimming events, kicking off with Adam Peaty’s pursuit of his third gold medal in the 100 metres breaststroke.
The arena has been completely revamped in just 36 days.
The rugby pitch has vanished, replaced by two Olympic-sized swimming pools. One pool is designated for training, while the other serves as the competition venue.
Engineers have installed these pools, each 50 metres long and 2.3 metres deep, on top of the arena’s artificial rugby field, filling them with a staggering five million litres of water.
Upgrades and Innovations
This swift transformation involved removing the front nine rows of seating to accommodate the new setup. The result is a venue that not only boasts state-of-the-art strobe lighting but also resembles a 15,000-seat nightclub.
What was once the halfway line of the rugby field is now a towering 22-metre media tribune, constructed from 20 kilometres of scaffolding—a feat event manager David Navizet hails as monumental.
Strategic Changes for Efficiency
Originally, there were plans to build a temporary swimming pool in Seine-Saint-Denis. However, the decision was made to use La Défense Arena instead.
This choice was driven by the impracticality and high costs of constructing a new facility that might later become underused.
The existing arena offered a more feasible solution, and gymnastics events were relocated to Bercy Arena.
Technical Details and Final Touches
The pools, constructed from stainless steel kits, feature ten lanes and required extensive logistics to assemble. Transporting the materials involved ten trucks and 358 steel panels, while 7 tonnes of stainless steel and 16,700 bolts were used.
To maintain optimal air and water quality, engineers installed 450 metres of microperforated pipes known as the Myrtha Breathe system.
As the venue nears its grand opening, official timekeeper Omega is fine-tuning the touchpads on the diving starting blocks, scuba divers are testing the underwater cameras, and a harp player is checking the sound system.
But the work isn’t quite done yet. On August 4, the team will have just nine hours overnight to reconfigure the arena for the water polo events.
With such a rapid and impressive transformation, La Defense Arena is set to offer an unforgettable experience for both athletes and spectators.