Just as declared, today FFR announced the preferred location of their new national stadium. Not in Paris itself, but in the well communicated suburbs of Evry. Time to see the venue that will overgrow Stade de France.

Today France’s largest sports venue is Stade France with over 81,000 seats. But it’s also today that French Rugby Federation (FFR) announced the location of a bigger one, 82,000-seater just outside of Paris.

Earlier this week the choice was between two locations: Thiais-Orly district in Paris and suburban Evry. The latter has been announced today, specifically the town of Ris-Orangis. The site is very well connected with Paris itself via highway and rapid rail system.

It is understood the new stadium is to have a retractable roof. If so, it will become Europe’s largest venue to have this feature. It’s too early to judge it yet, though, as architects are to be appointed this Summer. Renderings you’ll find in our design presentation are preliminary and will surely change.

If design work goes without delays, construction will start in 2013 and end in 2017. Cost, subject to further analysis, is estimated at €500-600m.

Decision of FFR to build a stadium of their own came after dissatisfaction with Stade de France, whose operator gave FFR disappointing financial conditions. With sold out seats FFR could only earn €2m per game and estimations show that during the tenancy contract (1998-2013) FFR may have “lost” some €160m due to the conditions at Stade de France.