Stade du Hainaut

History

From 2006 onwards, when Valenciennes Football Club was promoted to Ligue 1, and the club seemed to be making a lasting impact on the French soccer elite, the Stade Nungesser stadium appeared to be an obstacle to the club’s growth. The construction of a new stadium was then envisaged and a call for projects was launched.

The proposal by architects Michel Marcary and Aymeric Zublena of SCAU was selected and presented on September 21, 2006. This new 25,172-seat stadium is located in a residential area of Valenciennes. The stadium is intended for soccer, but can also host concerts and major rugby matches.

The Mariotti firm (author of the Stade de l’Épopée) also participated in the architectural competition. If the exterior style of the SCAU project can be compared to the Allianz Arena, the Mariotti project was more similar to the Estádio da Luz.

Equipment

The façade of the Stade du Hainaut is made of 8,000 raw stainless steel scales, each measuring 1 m × 1 m. Their satin sheen and untreated finish reflect light perfectly, like an industrial fairing similar to that of planes, cars or boats. They can be illuminated with a white light.

56 trusses support the whole, arranged concentrically around the field. The roof is made of 1,800 tons of steel.

The enclosure contains 25,172 seats, including nearly 2,600 “privilege” seats and 250 seats in private boxes divided into sixteen boxes. It also includes two giant screens of 48 m2 each located at the top of the North and South curves. The stadium also has three lounges ranging from 100 to 400 square meters, as well as three large 300-square-meter halls, reception areas and twelve snack bars integrated into the stadium.