Sahraoui
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Opened on 23 May 2015 in the Bordeaux-Lac district, the Stade Atlantique is home to Girondins de Bordeaux. Designed by Herzog & de Meuron, it is instantly recognisable for its forest of slender columns, inspired by the pines of the Landes, and for its two tiers of stands wrapped around the pitch. It staged five matches at Euro 2016.
The guided tour, available to groups of ten people or more, lasts around an hour and a half. It takes you from the top of the stands down to the edge of the pitch, taking in the mixed zone, the players' tunnel and the Girondins de Bordeaux dressing rooms.
Chosen to design and then build the Matmut Atlantique, the Herzog & de Meuron practice is no newcomer when it comes to great sporting landmarks. Specialists in projects of this kind, the Swiss architects are behind the magnificent Allianz Arena in Munich and Beijing's Olympic Stadium, also known as the Bird's Nest, one of the largest in the world. An excellent choice, judging by the result.
Cr Jules Ladoumegue, 33300 Bordeaux, France
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