GFC Construction and Exprimm, subsidiaries of Bouygues Construction operating as members of a consortium, have been chosen by the Marseille City Council to carry out the reconfiguration of the Stade Vélodrome football stadium and the surrounding area. This public-private partnership project, worth more than 300 million euros (Group share), is the first of eight stadium renovation contracts to be awarded in the run-up to the 2016 European Cup (Euro 2016).

The consortium is composed of the Caisse des Dépôts, the Caisse d'Epargne Provence-Alpes-Corse, the FIDEPPP, the Infravia fund, GFC Construction (lead company), Exprimm, SCAU architects (Maxime Barbier, Bernard Cabannes, Luc Delamain, François Gillard, Michel Macary, Aymeric Zublena) and DIDIER ROGEON ARCHITECTE, associate architect, along with the Iosis, Garcia Ingénierie and Beterem Ingénierie engineering offices.

Performed by GFC Construction, the works will begin in the second quarter of 2011 and will last three years (handover scheduled June 2014). They are worth just over 200 million euros, and relate to two distinct structures:

•    The reconfiguration of the current Stade Vélodrome, with roofing for all stands and protection against bad weather conditions for all spectators. The stadium, which was built in 1938 and partially reconfigured in 1998, will be entirely modernised and upgraded to comply with international standards, specifically with a view to Euro 2016. The configuration of the stadium will be raised to UEFA 5-star category. Total spectator capacity will be increased from the current level of 58,000 to 67,000, including 6,000 VIP seats. The stadium will remain in operation during the entire period of building works, with space available for up to 42,000spectators. When the renovation is complete, the stadium will generate more energy than it consumes, particularly thanks to the installation of photovoltaic panels and wind turbines, but also through the recovery of heat from a neighbouring water treatment plant.

•    The restructuration and extension of the adjoining rugby stadium (the Stade Delort), which will create a 5,000-seat covered stand. The facility will comply with regulations in force covering national and international matches. 

A company called AREMA, to be created specifically for the project, will be responsible for event management (with the exception of football matches) throughout the period of the partnership contract. Exprimm, a member of the consortium and a subsidiary of Bouygues Construction, will perform routine site maintenance and will carry out major maintenance and renovation for a period of 31 years (value for Exprimm: 101 million euros).

The partnership contract also includes the development of an adjoining 100,000 m² property complex which will comprise offices, a shopping centre, a hotel and housing.

The partnership contract is currently being drawn up, and signature has been provisionally set for October 2010.

Since building the Parc des Princes in 1972, Bouygues Construction has more than a hundred sports facilities to its credit, both in France and in other countries. Among these are the Hong Kong national stadium (1996), the Stade de France (1997), the Budapest Arena multisport complex (2003) and the Bern stadium (2005). The Group will soon begin the construction of the Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines velodrome and is continuing the construction of the Valenciennes stadium.