Stade de Beaublanc – design description

Who will the new stadium in Limoges be for?

At the end of 2010, a concept for the complete redevelopment of the aged Stade de Beaublanc was presented. The initiative came mainly from the mayor of Limoges, Alain Rodet, who had already promised the investment during the 2008 election campaign. The project was criticized above all on the grounds that Limoges has lacked a strong football or rugby team for years, for which an expensive redevelopment would be justified.

What will the new stand layout be like at the Limoges stadium?

Prepared by Atelier Ferret Architectures, the project involves the removal of the existing infrastructure including the athletics track and the construction of four completely new, separate stands just behind the end lines of the pitch. Each of the four new stands is to have two tiers, and the corners will remain without an auditorium. The target capacity will be 20,901 spectators. All stands will be connected by a common roof and façade covered with triangular panels, most of which are to be coloured close to white and some will be transparent.

What was rebuilt in the first phase of the Limoges stadium upgrade?

It was decided to divide the project into phases. The first part of the project involved rebuilding the two stands on the south side (along the pitch and behind the goal). Demolition of the old structure began in the spring of 2012, and construction of the new stands began at the end of the same year. The construction encountered numerous problems, including the unfortunate death of a worker in May 2013, the discovery of cracks in the structure in February 2014 and a large number of design errors in April 2015. As a result, work slowed down until it was finally halted.

After the corrections were taken into account, construction started again in 2016. The first match after the opening of the new stands took place on October 13, 2018. The cost of completing the first phase of the redevelopment was €63 million, even though initial estimates called for an expenditure of around €60 million for the entire project. The old stand along the pitch, on the north-east side, is still in use and the total capacity of the venue is currently 13,182 spectators. For the time being, there are no concrete plans to complete the redevelopment.