France Galop, the association responsible for running flat horse racing in France, has awarded Bouygues Bâtiment Ile-de-France Ouvrages Publics a contract worth €92 million to renovate the Longchamp racecourse, situated in the heart of the Bois de Boulogne in Paris. The restructuring is intended to establish the New Longchamp as an international benchmark and to provide French flat racing with a modern, high-performance racecourse that meets the expectations of professionals, owners and new generations of race-goers.
 
Designed by Dominique Perrault, winner of an international competition launched by France Galop in 2011, the architectural project seeks to enhance both the built and green heritage of this temple to horse racing, which dates back to 1857. The surface area of the project is almost 11 hectares, out of a total surface area for the site of 55 hectares.

The operation consists of demolishing all the existing stands and replacing them with a single stand 160 metres long, which will be topped by a panoramic glass building incorporating a 21-metre overhang. The capacity of the racecourse will be increased to 70,000 with the construction of five new buildings. To meet international standards in terms of the comfort and hospitality services adapted to satisfy the expectations of various customer profiles, 17 VIP boxes will be created along with 57 private boxes, a reception space and catering facilities specially for owners, and zones accessible by the general public and racecourse gamblers.
 
“The choice of Bouygues Bâtiment Ile-de-France following a tendering process has ensured that France Galop has a partner with renowned expertise. This will be a great benefit to us for the construction of the New Longchamp, which will be a showcase for the excellence of French flat racing.” said Thierry Delègue, Chief Executive of France Galop.
 
Bernard Mounier, Chairman of Bouygues Bâtiment Ile-de-France, said: “We are very proud to have been chosen for this complex project, which will give this historic site a new lease of life. Our expertise in sport and leisure infrastructure will enable us to meet our customer’s objective of making the New Longchamp a showcase for the excellence of French horse racing.”