French Open stadium Roland Garros has received a unique sustainable upgrade, with greenhouses built into all four of the stands at the Court Simonne Mathieu.
Located in the Jardin des Serres d’Auteuil botanical garden, the stadium now functions not only as a court for the French Open but also as an extension to the garden’s public space.
The redesign was conceptualised as a dialogue between gardens and sport, botany and tennis, technical and physical performance.
Surrounding the stadium on all sides, the greenhouses contain plants from America, Asia, Africa and Oceania. Particular care was taken to ensure the modern greenhouse structures would sit comfortably amongst the garden’s existing 19th-century architecture, according to architect Marc Mimram, founder of Marc Mimram Architecture & Associes.
Mimram has described the redesign as a new concept; a high-performance sports facility in relationship with nature. He feels that sports facilities should not be “closed in”, but rather look outward to nature, which should be expressed in their design.
