Populous has claimed a world first for RC Strasbourg’s Stade de la Meinau, with part of the Ligue 1 club’s stadium being renovated using upcycled sections of decommissioned Airbus A340 aircraft fuselages.
Populous is serving as the lead architect for the redevelopment of Stade de la Meinau, with work having commenced ahead of the 2023-24 season.
Work initially focused on the South Stand during the 2023-24 campaign. This season, further work is being carried out in the South and West Stands, before attention turns to the North and East Stands in 2025-26.
Populous has now claimed a world first for a stadium project after the first of several prototype fuselage sections were installed in the South Stand. The design has been led by Populous alongside local architect Rey de Crecy.
The work involves cutting fuselage sections to use as panels that provide a unique sun-shading system. Once fully in place, the panels will cover a total surface of 4,050 square metres across the whole rear of the stand.
The upcycled fuselages will make up the white sections of the stand, creating what Populous has described as an “elegant and shimmering façade”. It is hoped the initiative will lead to a wider conversation on ways that upcycling and material reuse can enhance the sustainability of large-scale stadium projects.
Francois Clement, president of Populous France, said: “The concept of reusing fuselage sections exemplifies our commitment to sustainable design. The idea for the sunshade façade was originally conceived during the COVID-19 pandemic, when planes were almost entirely grounded and airlines resized their fleet and flight operations.
“Our design concept sought to make use of decommissioned aircraft, using upcycled architecture to deliver the innovative concept at the heart of an environmentally sustainable design for the revamped stadium.”
Pia Imbs, President of the Eurométropole de Strasbourg, added: “We wanted the renovation of the Stade de la Meinau to be an exemplary project – both ecologically and socially. Faced with the challenges of climate change, we must develop a circular economy that respects the resources at our disposal and each public project is an opportunity to support and encourage innovation in that area.
“The reuse of the fuselages was decisive in our choice of project – it’s a world first we are extremely proud of and it is the signature of the new face of the stadium.”
The Stade de la Meinau project is expected to be completed by August 2026. The €160m (£133m/$173m) scheme will increase the stadium’s capacity from 26,000 to 32,000.
The project was six years in the making, with Populous having been selected to deliver the redevelopment back in January 2021. The stadium has not been renovated since 1984, when France hosted the UEFA European Championship.
