Eiffage : Structural work completed for the REIMS ARENA events hall project

After an archaeological dig carried out by Evéha lasting 7 months, Eiffage Construction and Eiffage Route workers were finally able to start on the earthworks and foundations for the new REIMS ARENA events hall in October 2019.

Since then, the health crisis has slowed work down, but the teams have managed to organise things in order to meet the deadlines as best they can. A prototype of the front elevation designed by architects Willmotte & Associés was presented to Arnaud Robinet, Mayor of Reims, and Catherine Vautrin, President of Greater Reims on 17 September 2020. An opportunity to see for themselves the architect's exquisite design and the many talents of the SMEs working with Eiffage Construction.

The structural work and support beams for the tiered seating will be completed by the end of November 2020. The REIMS ARENA events hall will be able to accommodate up to 9,000 people for sports events, shows, concerts and conferences from early 2022.

This project comes under the concession agreement managed entirely by Eiffage Concessions and signed on 1 October 2018 for the financing, design, construction, operation and maintenance over 25 years of 3 iconic buildings in Reims: the REIMS ARENA events hall, the Exhibition Centre and the Conference Centre - in all, a total investment of €77 million. Refurbished by teams from Eiffage Construction and Eiffage Services, work on the Conference Centre focused on restoring the glazing and most of the interior finishes (floors and walls) and technical facilities. Eiffage Services also took over technical maintenance on 1 January 2019.

Work on the Exhibition Centre, also managed by Eiffage Construction, began at the same time as work on the REIMS ARENA events hall in the late summer of 2019. The project covered the refurbishment of Hall 1 covering 4,200 m2 and the construction of a new hall covering 6,700 m².

The impressive modernisation concept created by Reims architect Christophe Ballan will increase the total surface area to 23,000 m² to accommodate a huge range of trade fairs and exhibitions with facilities meeting the highest international standards as early as 2021. The teams also erected the reception pavilion, which will act as a hall connecting the new hall and the old one entirely refurbished by Eiffage Construction.

The REIMS ARENA events hall, the Conference Centre and the Exhibition Centre projects are 3 examples of the trust that the City of Reims has put in the Eiffage Group, which has invested all of its expertise in the concessions and construction sector to meet the needs of regional areas.