Le Manège

Le Manège, designed by students of ENSA-Versailles, represents the French Equestrian Federation as part of the Cultural Olympiad of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. The structure draws on traditional riding arenas and highlights the use of bio-based materials with an approach that is both sustainable and innovative. The walls of the pavilion are built from load-bearing straw bales, stacked in a staggered pattern and firmly strapped, illustrating the commitment to environmentally friendly materials. These walls rest on a timber base, ensuring stability and protection against damp. The light sheet-metal roof is supported by a reciprocal frame, an ingenious structure that distributes the loads evenly. At the centre of the roof, an oculus lets in natural light while serving as an impluvium to collect rainwater, which is then channelled to a central basin where wheat shoots grow, symbolising the cycle of the straw used in the construction.

(Photos: ©Salem Mostefaoui)