Stade de la Tuilière – stadium description

The stadium is located in the northern part of Lausanne, where the dense urban fabric changes into the more open, typical of the countryside. Its name refers to the district in which it is built. It sits just under 1 km north from the city’s previous main stadium, Stade Olympique de la Pontaise.

The facility is part of Center Sportif de la Tuilière, which also includes 9 pitches and athletics facilities. The design was created in 2014, and the works officially started in December 2017, although the first works took place in the summer of that year. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, it was delivered in time for the November 2020 opening. The price tag has proven to be underestimated, though, as it nearly doubled between 2014 and groundbreaking in 2017.

Steep single-tiered stands inscribed in a cuboid make the fans feel that they are closer to the pitch, and the low-set flat roof amplifies the noise and prevents the sound from escaping outside. The geometry of the stadium's interior is characterized by peace and simplicity. The pitch has an artificial turf that will eventually be replaced with a grass surface upon completion of the training centre.

A big challenge at the design stage of the venue was to adjust it to the small plot on which it was to be built. Due to space constraints, it was decided to tilt the corners, giving the venue the appearance of a convex vessel. Without the elevated corners, the stadium’s footprint is only 11,700 m2. This solution ensures free movement of spectators around the building on the ground floor, connecting the stadium square with the surrounding areas. Corners also serve as entrance gates. At the top of the facility, there is a concourse that runs around the entire stadium. A walk there guarantees amazing panoramic views of the city, the Alps and Lake Geneva.

The corners of the stadium exert tensile stresses to the ring girders running around the top edge of the stadium, giving rigidity to the four outer walls. In the plinth area, four corners are connected by a single-story concrete band. This is the ultimate design for the aesthetics of the outer shell of the facility. Visually, this "curtain wall" separates the functions of the ground floor, which include dining, communication and leisure zones, from the outside. The corners’ interior serves as a secondary auditorium, available for fans as a gathering spot before the game or during the break.

From the outside, the geometry of the beams and the underside of the stands dominate the look of the venue from three sides. This becomes particularly visible when illuminated. The western part is slightly different, with the main grandstand with the press and VIP area. They are visible through a filigree glass coating. Delicate folds between the vertically arranged glass strips intensify the impression that this façade is only a light glass curtain. 

Behind that curtain are 4 levels of facilities (as opposed to three other stands, where ground-level kiosks are all there is), one of them underground. This way the stadium’s scale is discreet, just 13 meters tall without masts, as required by the neighbouring low-rise housing and airport.

The building has a solar power plant covering 4,385 m2 of the canopy, LED lighting and its own sewage treatment plant. In addition, 50 breeding places for endangered bird species have been set up on the outer walls of the stadium.