Where is the construction of the Olympic stadium?

Around the pink track, the bowl of the lower stands is ready; and on it already rests the immense collar of the stands...

Twenty minutes from the future Olympic Games station, between Colombes and Argenteuil, on the left side of Boulevard d'Achères, the Stadium is slowly being developed behind its ring of fences. To tell the truth, the four factory chimneys which rise brutally against the backdrop do not contribute to beautifying the immediate surroundings of this large sports theater which we would have liked to see rise in a more attic setting. . A bouquet of poplars and a few meager shrubs constitute, currently, only an insufficient frieze of the vast panorama which will, in a year, enjoy worldwide fame.

We must, however, be careful not to criticize prematurely. Until now, the exterior works (access roads, boulevards, avenues planted with trees) have only been mapped out on paper and we will only be able to get an exact idea of the projects in progress towards the end of the year. 'year. Let's wait patiently for these next achievements

As for the stadium itself, it is rising rapidly around the oval lawn which is now being mowed by horse-drawn mower. The already prepared clinker track highlights the giant green carpet with a pink orb. Separated from the arena by a metal fence nearing completion, the lower stands rise in a bowl on which the substructures of a gigantic reinforced concrete collar which will constitute the stands already rest. These stands will soon be finished. We remain amazed, seeing them, at the audacity with which the plan was conceived. The immense ring of cement offers the homogeneous appearance of a building of lightness and unfailing solidity. Large “vomitories” made from place to place will ensure, thanks to spacious staircases, the rapid flow of the thousands of spectators that the enclosure is called upon to contain. In addition, a covered path will bring together, passing under the track, the locker room and the lawn to allow athletes to easily access the middle of the arena. This path, a real concrete tunnel, is currently finished.

In Colombes
It goes without saying that the traders of Colombes are already planning the arrangements which will enable them to cope with the intense movement which will soon enliven the peaceful suburban town. The owner of a small café located on one of the main roads has arranged rooms for travelers. — Six beautiful bedrooms with mirrored wardrobe and middle bed, she told me, not without pride; with that you can always see it coming. Further on, a restaurant displays a brand new calico sign: Restaurant du Parc Olympique. These are not the only clues that allow us to have the assurance that the city of Colombes will be worthy of the choice with which it has been honored.

G. L. F.