Longchamp Racecourse

The Longchamp racecourse is the emblematic place of the French and world equestrian world. Each year it hosts the world's largest prize: The Qatar Arc de Triomphe Award. His new image imposes a respect for tradition and a desire for renewal.

«The renewal of the Longchamp racecourse should ensure that it maintains its place in both the Grand Paris
and on the international scene of the world’s major racecourses.
Such an ambitious goal must be guided not only by an emblematic architectural project that can be adapted
to future needs, but also a landscape project that transfigures the area, highlighting the built legacy, the
historical heritage of the racecourse, and especially the green heritage of the Bois de Boulogne, which
composition was originaly designed by Alphand in the 19th century.
The race for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe is the highpoint of the life of the racecourse. Therefore, the main
challenge of this project is for it to be able to host this event, which draws up to 60,000 spectators, under
exceptional conditions, while also welcoming a much smaller crowd on ordinary racing days.
This is why the project proposes to deconstruct all the stands dating from the 1960s and to replace them with
only one stand, which is both more compact and more functional. Buildings housing support services for the
horse races, which are currently scattered around the site, will also be demolished and rebuilt in the form of
pavilions. Finally, the historic buildings of the racecourse will be renovated.
The architecture of the stand is in motion, like a galloping horse. A slight overhang orients the interplay of
superimposed stands toward the finish line. But this gap on the racecourse side creates stands that overlook
the course, while on the side of the parade ring, a balcony stand is formed.
In fact, all the features―terraces, walkways, transparencies, and open staircases―will provide permanent
views of the entire racecourse with, of course, privileged views over the parade ring and over the course itself.
The architectural concept is one of transparent “shelves”, with neither front nor back, enabling spectators to
go back and forth from a view over the stables to a view over the racecourse.
In short, the architectural project creates generous perspectives over the landscape thanks to the significant
reduction of the size of the existing constructions on the site.
The architectural design is very pared down, simple and elegant, allowing the gaze and light to pass through
the buildings.
The public is always in visual contact and proximity to the horses and professionals, without ever coming into
direct contact.
One could describe it as fluid architecture that guides movement, as symbolized by the overhang of the
grandstand, which also allows the landscape to pass through it.
Hidden in nature, The Paris Longchamp racecourse revives the charm of garden parties of the past, of
promenades in the wood and the poetry of the Bagatelle gardens, while also offering comfort for all types of
public and an effective and efficient facility for all the betters.
The project for Paris Longchamp will be a model environmental facility of its kind and thus meet the objectives
of the climate plan developed by the city of Paris.
In conclusion, the intervention consists of creating a more naturel place encouraging future planting; more
ecological, thanks to an innovative design and the integration of both passive and active systems encouraging
the use of renewable energy and the energy independence of its buildings; more flexible, by creating a
wide variety of places enabling Longchamp to welcome greater numbers under conditions adapted to the
diversity of racecourses; and finally, more pleasant, for the comfort of all users of the site, the horses,
jockeys, horsemen and women, professionals and the public at large.»

Redo a tribune adapted to the contemporary use of the equestrian environment.
Restore ecological awareness to the site.
Restore unity to the site, consistency, dilapidated over time by the successive construction of several buildings.
Les Planches : create a walk on « les planches » in touch with the tribun to seperate the public of the France Galop staff.
The tribune : designed as traversing trays, fluid, visible. The round of presentation, the stalls make a show for the both sides of the building. A transparency system is create.
The building adapts and creates a new way of living the races, and fully inscribes the site in the Parisian setting, Paris becomes the framed decor (various walks, views and different light). It is part of the French know-how of the Bois de Boulogne.

-The structure tribune is made in mixt materials with metal farme and concrete floor.
Materials used : golden metal mesh, golden paint, exposed concrete.
All the materials are raw as the concrete, the wood who is the exotic wood, ultra glass for the windows, the golden metal.