Swimming pools, Olympic village, everything is almost finished for the Paris Olympics

An Olympic Village almost ready

Solideo's largest project, with 2.800 housing units to be delivered, or nearly 14.250 beds, based north of Paris straddling Saint-Denis, Saint-Ouen and Saint-Denis Island, close to the Seine. The official end of the work was officially announced on December 31. There remains a two-month reserve period for the buildings, with delivery scheduled to the organizers on February 29, time to check their functionality and raise possible problems.

But Solideo was unable to escape some delays in this pharaonic project. The part on Ile-Saint-Denis, where 500 beds must be delivered, they will not be on March 1, "but a few weeks later", admitted the boss of Solideo Nicolas Ferrand during a hearing at the Senate on January 17. “But we are not worried,” he said to parliamentarians, assuring that for 85% of the works, the work was completed by December 31, 2023.

The Olympic Aquatics Center (CAO) in advance

Undoubtedly the best news for Solideo, because the project should even be finished “before the scheduled date”. The inauguration date had been set for April 19, 2024 with, again, the handing over of the keys to the organizers, but Solideo is now counting on "end of March 2024".

“We are really good here, for a building which risks being the most significant in the legacy of the Olympic Games,” we assure Solideo. The 5.000 spectator places planned for the artistic swimming, diving or water polo events, including 2.500 in temporary stands, have been installed, and the first impoundment tests have begun. “This involves checking the structure and its tightness,” according to Solideo.

No worries for the Arena Porte de la Chapelle

Taking into account a three-month delay in 2022, delivery scheduled for summer 2023 has been set for January 2024, a deadline which will be met. The room, which will notably host badminton events, is almost complete. “The parquet floor has been laid and all the stands are installed,” we assure Solideo.

This room will initially be used by the City of Paris, before being handed over to the organizers of the Olympic Games. A Paris-Basketball match, which will become the resident club in this hall which will be able to accommodate up to 8.000 people during the Olympics, is also scheduled for February 11. The handover of the keys to Cojo is scheduled for the end of April.

Grand Palais, Colombes swimming pool... under surveillance

For the ephemeral Grand-Palais, located at the end of the Champ de Mars, which must notably host the judo and wrestling events, the schedule is extremely tight. Nicolas Ferrand assured on January 19 that the availability date of April 19 was maintained. “There was an extremely important effort,” he explained, to ensure that the Grand Palais was “operational during the games”.

The other site under surveillance is located in Colombes where the swimming pool must serve as a training site for synchronized swimming. It should be delivered "at the beginning of June" according to Solideo, for a site which has experienced "many adventures", recognized Nicolas Ferrand.