Paris La Défense Arena

In the summer of 2024, Paris La Défense Arena represents two years of work, a renewed challenge, and an impending success. It is here that Myrtha has installed two temporary 50m pools for the Olympic and Paralympic competitions.

Speed of execution and millimetric precision were the two fundamental requirements to transform Europe’s largest indoor arena into the perfect performance setting for Olympic and Paralympic athletes.

The arena will host 17,000 fans from around the world to watch swimming competitions, water polo finals, and Paralympic swimming events.

For the construction of these pools, Myrtha used 47 tons of stainless-steel components, 358 Myrtha panels, and 16,700 bolts, while reducing CO2 emissions by 50% compared to traditional construction methods.

For Myrtha, Paris 2024 proved to be an accelerator of innovation and sustainability. A core value of Paris 2024, sustainability was embraced by Myrtha by committing to reuse 80% of the materials used for the Paris la Défense Arena pools.

According to the notion of circular economy, Myrtha, for the first time, used a flooring membrane composed of 52% recycled materials. It will be entirely recyclable at the end of Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.

The Italian company also chose the Paris 2024 Olympics and Paralympics to showcase an innovative development resulting from three years of R&D and numerous tests with university laboratories. This innovation is Myrtha Breathe; a unique gutter system installed for the first time in the competition pool at Paris La Défense Arena. The Myrtha Breathe system eliminates volatile by-products from disinfection (such as chloramines and halomethanes) present in indoor environments. In addition to improving air quality, Myrtha Breathe also saves water and chemicals, ensuring optimal water conditions for athletes and regular swimmers.

After the event, the two pools at Paris La Défense Arena will be dismantled and permanently relocated to public aquatic centres near Paris. The competition pool will be reinstalled in Sevran, while the other is destined for Bagnolet. This legacy process for the temporary pools at Paris La Défense Arena began during the design phases, as their post-event reinstallation was being considered even then.

This reinstallation will generate a positive social impact by providing advanced public aquatic centres to communities that lacked them. These centres will facilitate swimming education, promote Olympic aquatic sports, and enhance the general well-being of the population.