Paris La Défense Arena is not your typical Olympic and Paralympic swimming venue. For one thing, there is currently no water. Moreover, until recently, the area where the pool must go was plastered with dozens of trucks and sparkly sequins, dismantling the set of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, whose European leg kicked off in Paris earlier this month.
Yet within hours, both the hardware and glitter had gone. Thanks to its modular and multi-purpose structure, the arena - which first opened its doors in 2017 and was designed by architect Christian de Portzamparc - will soon be host to an Olympic-sized swimming pool and warm-up areas, as if Taylor (or the rugby pitch belonging to Racing 92, its resident club) never existed.
