The water park for the 2024 Olympic Games, Paris

As part of the 2024 Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games, an aquatic center is being built in Saint-Denis (93) in the heart of the Plaine Saulnier Joint Development Zone. It is located opposite the Stade de France and is connected to it by a footbridge over the A1 freeway.

Entirely designed with bio-sourced materials, the CAO should be delivered at the end of 2023, with the keys handed over to Paris 2024 in early April 2024.

Model of the nautical center for Paris 2024

Model of the nautical center for Paris 2024

The architectural project of the Olympic aquatic center

In early October 2020, the architectural project of the Olympic Aquatic Center (OAC) was presented. This 4 hectare site will require the following materials to be manufactured:

  • + 1,200 tons of bio-sourced materials,
  • 4,680 m2 of photovoltaic panels,
  • 8.5 tons of recycled local plastic waste to make the seats for the bleachers.

Renewable energies will provide 84% of the heating needs of this 30-meter high, 106-meter wide and 114-meter long building.

The footbridge between the Stade de France and the Olympic Aquatic Center (CAO) was installed between August 8 and 11, 2022 over the A1 (which required the closure of this section of highway). It is currently under construction until the end of 2023. For the Olympics, it will only be used by people with a competition ticket who wish to access the venues. The general public will be able to use it from May 2, 2025.

The facilities of the Olympic Aquatic Center

During the Olympic Games, the aquatic complex will include

  • a 50-meter pool (10 water lines) for the Olympic artistic swimming and water polo events
  • a special pool for diving,
  • 5,000 seats,
  • as well as a warm-up pool located on the outside square.

The outdoor warm-up pool can be completely dismantled at the end of the Games, just like the 2,500-seat Olympic stand added for the occasion, and will be relocated to another area of Seine-Saint-Denis. The water polo and artistic swimming pool, as well as the diving pool, will be maintained on the site and made available to the public as of 2025, with a 2,500-seat grandstand better suited to regional or national level competitions.

For the legacy, new works will take place after the end of the Paralympic Games in October 2024 until mid-May 2025. On May 2, 2025, this international sports facility will welcome the general public. Many activities will be on the program:

  • A 25-meter learning pool
  • An aquatic pool
  • A fitness center
  • An Arkose climbing gym with a restaurant supplied by the Ferme de Gally located in Saint-Denis
  • Sports fields such as a Five, a 3/3 basketball and a padel-tennis
  • A sports recycling center.

This new place of sports practice accessible to all will also receive punctually national and international competitions. In this context, the other 2,500 seats could be added to bring the number of spectators back to that of the 2024 Olympic Games.

Extra info: the various players in charge of designing the CAO also allowed the region to participate in its construction. Indeed, the 2,500 seats that will remain permanently on the site are "made in" 93. LemonTri, a social economy company located in Pantin, organized a collection of bottle caps that were then crushed and transformed by a factory in Aubervilliers, Le Pavé.

Figures:

  • 1 Olympic pool of 50 meters
  • 3 events during the Olympic Games
  • 5,000 seats during the Olympic Games, 2,500 after 2024
  • 5,000 m2 of roof covered with photovoltaic panels
  • Located 2 km east of the Athletes' Village

The events at the Olympic pool Saint-Denis

Artistic swimming from August 5 to 10, 2024

Diving from July 27 to August 10, 2024

Water polo from July 27 to August 4, 2024 
The preliminary phase competitions will be held at the Aquatic Center from July 27 to Sunday August 4, 2024. The final phases will be held at another venue - Paris la Défense Arena - from August 5 to 11, 2024.

Paris la Défense Arena
Address: 99 Jardins de l'Arche 92000 Nanterre
Access: bus, metro line 1, tramway T2: Stop La Défense, RER A: Stop La Défense or Nanterre Préfecture, Transilien L and U

A long-term project to become a national training center

Paris 2024 wishes to adopt a lasting approach regarding the equipments built up for the Olympic Games to promote sport development on its territory, and especially in Seine-Saint-Denis, that has much to offer for sport. After the Olympics, the water park will welcome  the national training center and the French swimming federation headquarters. It will also be opened for the inhabitants and added to the list of the different pools and water parks opened to the public in the North-East area of Paris.

Other nautical sites in Seine-Saint-Denis will be used as training sites for the Olympic Games.

Baleine in Saint-Denis
The water sports center in Noisy-le-Sec
The swimming pool of Aulnay-sous-Bois
The Maurice Thorez water sports stadium in Montreuil (water polo)
Vallerey swimming pool - Paris 20th

Address of the Olympic Aquatic Center

CAO - Centre Aquatique Olympique
361 avenue du Président Wilson
93200 Saint-Denis

How to get to the Saint-Denis Olympic pool?

  • RER B : Plaine Stade de France station + walk
  • RER D : Stade de France station + walk
  • Metro line 13 : Basilique Saint-Denis station + walk
  • Subway line 14 : under construction. Future "Saint-Denis Pleyel" station
    (interconnection with future lines 15, 16 and 17 - This station will serve the athletes' village, the Olympic aquatic center and the Stade de France)
  • Tramway lines T1 and T8
  • Bus
  • Vélib' stations

How to get to the Olympic Aquatic Center from CDG Airport?

Take the RER B to La Plaine Stade de France station and walk for about 10 minutes, crossing the footbridge to the pool.

If there is a problem on the RER, take the RATP bus from the RoissyPôle bus station to the gates of Paris and then take the metro or streetcar.

How to get to the Saint-Denis Olympic pool from Orly airport?

Take the metro line 14 (if completed because it is still under construction) to Saint-Denis Pleyel station.

Other solution: OrlyVal then take the RER B to Plaine Stade de France.

Olympic water center Saint-Denis - CAO

Site par ID-Alizés