The Berry know-how is in the spotlight since it is a Castelroussine company that was chosen to build the roof of the Suzanne-Lenglen court at Roland-Garros. It’s about the company Renaudat Center Constructions, specializing in the construction of metal frames. The work began on Monday and should last until the end of 2023. Everything must be ready for 2024 and the Olympic Games because it is in the Suzanne-Lenglen court – which can accommodate 10,000 spectators – that must be to hold the boxing events. It is therefore a major challenge that awaits the team. Total cost of the works: 35 million euros.
Mobile coverage already exists for the Philippe Chatrier court (which can accommodate 15,000 people). The French Tennis Federation wanted the Suzanne-Lenglen court to also have its own because this cover allows the court to be closed in the event of rain and thus not to interrupt sports competitions. This is a mobile canvas cover 80m long by 42m wide, which folds and unfolds depending on the weather and with a small feature that Philippe Escande explains to us: “The architect’s idea was to take inspiration from the skirt of Suzanne Lenglen who – at the time – played with pleated skirts and so we called it the plissé du court Suzanne-Lenglen”. This fold can be found in the video of the finished work that you can find here. We see in 3D the Suzanne-Lenglen court with the roof installed.
A technical challenge for the Berry company
Today, only the concrete part exists. The company will therefore create four main pillars at each corner of the stadium. For this, we will first have to build the foundations. It will then be necessary to install the four metal posts located at each of the angles. These corner posts must be installed early next year, before the next Roland Garros tournament. The site will stop for the duration of the competition.
“This is the most important phase for us“, explains Philippe Escande since it involves installing on the ground – on neighboring land – the main lateral beams of the project and the rear beam: “So we will go up in situ all the metal frame that will have been prefabricated in our workshop. It will be assembled on the ground. The elements are massive, they are about 600 tons each. “ And the CEO to continue: “We are going to bring two very large cranes of high capacity to lift this beam, but the distance between this place and the final place is too great. We will therefore have to create temporary ramps to make this structure slide and bring it to its final position. . This is the most technical and interesting part for us. ”
For phase 3, from the beginning of 2023, the company will have to restrain the whole before getting down to the mechanical part: the device that will make it possible to achieve this mobile coverage. The canvas will therefore rest on cables which must be relaxed or stretched depending on whether the canvas is open or closed. “Another technical challengeThe work will then be interrupted once again for Roland-Garros 2023 before resuming until the end of the year.
“I am enthusiastic and quite proud to have been able to get the company to handle an operation like this one. It is true that we are not necessarily expected on this type of project” – Philippe Escande, CEO of the company
Obviously, the Renaudat Center Constructions company – which will carry out the metal frame and the mechanical part of the whole – is not alone in carrying out this project. As a representative, it therefore called upon, among others, an architect of international renown: Dominique perrault. But also at the Tess design office (for project management). This team was supplemented by acousticians, specialists in light treatments, etc. Another partner chosen, this time for the shell: the Ramery company. It is she who will, among other things, carry out the foundations.
But then why it is this small Berry company rather than another which was chosen. Listen to the response from its CEO.
