French President Emmanuel Macron attended the inauguration ceremony of the Paris Aquatics Center on Thursday (Apr. 4), praising the artisans, architects, and engineers involved in building the facility for the upcoming Olympics later this year.
According to local media, the EUR 180 million center is located very near the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, which would be the venue for the athletic events. Between Jul. 26 and Aug. 11, it would host the water polo, diving, and synchronized swimming competitions.
It would also be used as a training facility for the Paralympic swimming events right after the Games.
In the years before the bid to host the Olympics was lodged, leaders of the Seine Saint Denis department just outside Paris had lobbied for a pool to aid an area where statistics revealed that 60% of the 11-year-olds in the region were unable to swim, Radio France International reported.
The Aquatics Center could host spectators around the pool in stands that could accommodate between 2,500 and 5,000 people. The facility would be connected to the Stade de France via a footbridge over the A1 motorway.
In addition to the modern look, the Aquatic Center aimed to become efficient and sustainable by installing solar panels over its 5,000-square-meter roof, making it one of France's largest urban solar farms and supplying all the energy needed.
Organizers of the Paris Games have insisted on finishing the Olympics with a target carbon dioxide use of 1.75 million tons, roughly half the carbon emissions of London in 2012 and Rio de Janeiro in 2016.
"Something we are uncertain of is the carbon impact of spectators..." Georgina Grenon, director of environmental excellence for the Paris organizing committee, told Agence France Presse last month. "[W]e haven't yet sold all the tickets."
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