FEA TURE —O LY MPIQUE LY ONNAIS &F RA NCE 2016


Olympique Lyonnais plan to move to their new 57,628-capacity stadium by the end of 2013.


John Barrow, Senior Principal at Populous, explained:


“We started work on a project in Lyon on a different site, and shortly after I was approached by Jean-Michel Aulas to carry on our designworkdirectly forhim on anew site.”


Even at this early stage, Barrow knew that Jean- ALL IMAGES COURTESY:POPULOUS


Michel Aulas wasthe key to the project. “The man was enlightened; he knew exactly what he was going to do from the outset. Firstly, he said he wanted to control the development. Secondly, he wanted to make it the best, and thirdly he wanted the rightdesignteam. He didn’t want to go out to public competition like they usually do in France, he wanted to select the design team himself, and for us, that’s made such a difference.” The reason for Aulas choosing Populous at that time


owned by the local municipal government. It means there are few opportunities for the Club to increase sta- dium relatedrevenues at their current home,and with a capacitylimited to just over 40,000 and anyscope for development restricted by its protected heritage status, Aulas has long made it clear thatthe Club’s futurelies elsewhere.


The Early Plans Plans for a new stadium for Olympique Lyonnais were first revealed in 2005, but rather than go down the tried and tested route of using local French architects, Jean- Michel Aulas caused something of astir by approaching the offices of Populous (then HOK Sport) in London, England.


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soon became clear, as Barrow advised: “Right from the outset,the Club were very keen to use Arsenal’s new Emirates Stadium as aguide.They actually presented their Brief thatwas modelled on Emirates,and they’d clearly done their research. “The first thing they said was‘We don’t want a closing


roof, nothing like that. We want what Arsenal have done because that’s what gives you the best pitch conditions’. Next,they wanted to increase the revenue from food and beverage,and thirdly,they wanted to put alot of emphasis on the shop and the museum experience; to make the stadium a great place to hang out.”


Improved Design While Populous used the Emirates Stadium as their tem- plate, the design for Lyonnais’new stadium has incorpo- rated many important changes, as John Barrowexplained.


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