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The former framework of the Georges-Vallerey swimming pool, currently being renovated for the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, is being reused to make furniture and signage for the new facility. A first for a sports venue in Paris.
Vallerey prepares for its renaissance. The famous pool in the 20th arrondissement is undergoing a major renovation in preparation for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, as are four other sports venues in the capital, renovated by the City of Paris and its partners. A metamorphosis for the former Tourelles swimming pool, where swimmer Johnny Weismuller shone at the 1924 Games. The result is a new wooden frame and a new opening roof for the 50-meter Olympic pool.
On the roof of the swimming pool, huge beams await installation. These 8-10 meter long elements will be lowered to the foot of the building using a crane. Flavie Anet, project manager for the operation within the steering and expertise division of the Youth and Sports Department, explains: "Careful removal clauses were included in the works contracts. The Mathis company was asked to carefully cut the wood, remove all metal elements and package it for re-use. Rigorous cutting to guarantee product quality".
The second step is an unusual one: the wood (larch) will be used… to make furniture and signage for the future swimming pool!
90% of construction waste is reused or recycled
The wooden structure is carefully dismantled before being reused as furniture and signage for the swimming pool.
Credit
Clément Dorval / Ville de Paris
The 8-10 metre long pieces are stored on the roof, before being cut to size with a circular saw.
Credit
Clément Dorval / Ville de Paris
Paris is a leader in the field of reuse. And it's taking advantage of the Paris 2024 Games to innovate: " When it comes to waste management, the Olympic and Paralympic construction sites are a showcase of best practices for the City of Paris," explains Nessrine Acherar, head of the steering and expertise unit at the Youth and Sports Department. All the worksites for the Games meet strict environmental standards, and we've been working on the subject of reuse since the launch of the renovation project."
The Vallerey site is therefore an opportunity to promote the reuse and recycling of materials. Over 90% of the waste produced (iron, rubble, etc.) is reused or recycled through specific channels. And 13% of this site waste is reused, including the wood used in the framework.
Bonnardel, based in Seine-et-Marne, will manufacture the new furniture, including the pool reception counter, benches, furniture for the swimmers' changing area and some 1,400 small pieces of signage for the new pool.
Another innovation is that part of the frame will be given a new lease of life thanks to the Extramuros association. 6 cubic meters of wood have been donated by the City to this "solidarity carpentry", based in the 20th arrondissement, which specializes in the reuse of materials, including wood. The City will also recover some of the wood for workshops run by the Youth and Sports Department.
And the new framework? It will come from eco-certified French forests. " The wood used is Douglas fir, sourced from forests in the Jura and Vosges regions," explains Thibaud Fenard of Mathis.
A new energy-efficient building accessible to all
View of the Vallerey pool hall after its renovation for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Credit
Ville de Paris
The pool will feature a new sunroof.
Credit
Clément Dorval / Ville de Paris
The work required to welcome athletes is part of the Games' legacy program: these improvements will enhance the facility's reception conditions, accessibility and energy performance for athletes and Parisian users alike after the Games.
Innovations include enhanced accessibility for people with reduced mobility, with an accessible pathway from the entrance to the pool. The reception area will also be made universally accessible, with a reception desk adapted for people with reduced mobility, and another new feature: the creation of a room for guide dogs at the entrance to the pool - a first for a sports venue in the capital!
Modernization of water treatment system, lighting, ventilation…
The pool will also be more energy-efficient. For heating, it will be connected to the city's heating network (CPCU), located just a hundred meters from the entrance. Switching from gas to greener energies is a great way to reduce energy bills.
Modernization of the technical installations, water treatment, ventilation and lighting systems will improve the building's energy performance. The renovation and resizing of the ventilation system, in line with the pool's real needs, will halve the energy bill. Modernization of the lighting and electrical panels will cut electricity bills by 40%.
The project is also in line with the company's social responsibility ambitions, with a target of 10% of the project's workforce to be employed in social integration schemes, and 25% of the cost of the work to be carried out by VSEs, SMEs and social economy structures.
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