Less than a week after the last blind football competition of the Paris Paralympic Games, the artificial turf has almost completely disappeared and is waiting, in several rolls, to be transported to a new life. Objective: to dismantle the stadium at the foot of the Eiffel Tower by the end of October.
In the stands, workers have begun to remove the seats. At the foot of the immense temporary stands, disconnected cables litter the ground. Others are already stored in crates for transport. At the neighboring Grand Palais Éphémère, the tatami mats have disappeared.
The stadium in the heart of the capital on the Champ de Mars, which has become emblematic of Paris 2024, has been transformed into a construction site. The incessant noise of screwdrivers, saws and hammers has replaced the cheers and chants of supporters.
“It’s certain that there is a pang in the heart” to see this installation gradually dissipate, which concentrates “many memories”, concedes Augustin Nechad, director of the “Eiffel Champ de Mars” site, which brings together the two competition sites that have hosted judo, wrestling, beach volleyball, blind football, para judo and wheelchair rugby since July.
But “we knew that it was the contract from the start to make temporary sites because there was no need, in our territory, for such a stadium,” he adds.
– Second life –
For dismantling, three phases follow one another, or even overlap.
First, the teams move, the wifi, electricity, or even water are turned off. Then, the “bump out”, for “everything that falls when you turn the site over”, summarizes Mr. Nechand: furniture, sports equipment, cables, tarpaulins, posters, signage.
In total, for 32 sites, 26,000 pallets will be transported by the CMA CGM group, logistics provider for the Paris Olympic Games, to warehouses in the Paris region.
“We will have almost 1,400 truck trips” during this phase, notes Wagner Covos, director of logistics operations for the Paris Games at CMA CGM. He underlines the “complexity” linked to the urban environment of the competition sites, compared to stadiums on the outskirts.
The equipment is then distributed to its final destinations: donation to clubs, resale, sales, etc. with the stated aim of maximizing the “second life”.
Each roll of turf is numbered to facilitate reinstallation. “This is a task that would not have to be done if it went into the dumpster,” emphasizes Augustin Nechad.
The 2,000 tonnes of sand, some of which is still under the blind football floor, will be used to create four beach volleyball courts in Île-de-France.
Around 200 CMA CGM employees are currently emptying the Olympic Village of mattresses, wardrobes and 17,000 beds assembled for the occasion. In total, 900 people at CMA CGM will work on the dismantling, compared to 1,000 during the assembly.
“We are on schedule,” assures Mr. Covos, for whom success is also a long-term economic and image issue. The group, which has been preparing the event for three years and has grown through a series of acquisitions (including Bolloré Logistics), wants to show loud and clear its ability to “do other types of events like this.”
– Fashion week –
Once the furniture and equipment have been removed, it is time to dismantle the stands and all the fixed infrastructure. This is being carried out by a group of companies around the event specialist GL Events.
Work began the day after the end of the competitions and the “final spadework to restore the site” is scheduled for October 31, but “70%” of the garden should be vacated by mid-October, the manager said. The stands at the foot of the Eiffel Tower will remain the longest.
At other venues, work is more advanced, such as at the Concorde, which only hosted the opening ceremony for the Paralympic Games. The Grand Palais, home to fencing, taekwondo, para taekwondo and wheelchair fencing, will host the Chanel fashion show on October 1 as part of Paris Fashion Week.
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