Government Lausanne city council does not want to demolish "Pontaise" stadium

SDA

21.10.2024 - 07:07

La Pontaise stadium was built in Lausanne to host the 1954 FIFA World Cup. (archive picture)
La Pontaise stadium was built in Lausanne to host the 1954 FIFA World Cup. (archive picture)
Keystone

The city council of Lausanne does not want to demolish the "La Pontaise" stadium after all. The building from 1954 is to be converted and integrated into a large real estate project, as city president Grégoire Junod said in an interview on Monday.

Three architectural firms commissioned by the city had shown that the necessary building volume of 115,000 square meters - corresponding to a land value of 80 to 90 million francs - could be found around the stadium, Junod told the newspaper "24 Heures".

It would be possible to realize a relatively dense quarter. There is talk of 3,000 to 35,000 apartments on the site. The stadium should be retained, said Junod. It could be converted for a variety of purposes and the pitch could be made available to the public.

According to Junod, a competition will be held for the expansion of the stadium. However, work would only begin after the Pierre de Coubertin Stadium had been renovated for the Ahtletissima athletics meeting: "We are therefore talking about 2028-2029 for the start of construction work," said the mayor. Costs would also be covered by private investors. The city would cover the costs of public facilities.

SDA