Game, set and mesh - X-TEND demonstrates its diversity in the Stade Roland Garros

25. Oct / 2019

Since 1891, the Stade Roland Garros in Paris has hosted the French Open. As the only clay court tennis tournament in the Grand Slam series, the French tennis championship is rich in tradition and is a special event in the diaries of the world's tennis elite. Here alone Steffi Graf won six titles and Rafael Nadal leads the men's rankings with an incredible twelve wins. As the tennis complex at the Bois de Boulogne could no longer keep pace with the other Grand Slam tournaments (the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the US Open) in terms of capacity and logistics, the Stade Roland Garros is being renovated and extended to satisfy modern standards. Under the management of Vinci Construction France, the largest building contractor in France and part of one of the largest building groups worldwide, Roland Garros is being given an extensive facelift. In 2016, a series of construction phases got under way to create new clay courts, modern courts with extended capacities, new outdoor spaces and a central village for tournament management, teams, representativeness of the media and sponsors. With the inclusion of the neighboring Botanic Gardens, the area is growing from 8.5 to 11.6 hectares. The centerpiece is the reconstruction of the Philippe Chartrier center court which is being given a mobile roof to avoid having to interrupt play because of the weather. Once construction measures have been completed in 2021, the 45,000 spectators who attend the tournament every day can expect greater comfort and service in one of the most state-of-the-art tennis complexes.

The architecture of the newly designed complex is modern and lightweight. Furthermore, the planners have placed great emphasis on sustainability, for example by installing solar modules and integrating the surrounding countryside. The team hopes to be classified as “very good” for the entire complex in the BREEAM sustainability “Tailored Criteria Development” program. The stainless steel mesh X-TEND by Carl Stahl Architecture satisfies these criteria. It is used in various ways in the Stade Roland Garros, for example as transparent balustrade infill and filigree ball netting, which greenery can climb, and also as a trellis structure to help create individual green walls.