Contemporary · Architecture

Adidas Arena

Paris

Adidas Arena is a multipurpose hall in Quartier de la Chapelle, in Paris’s 18th arrondissement. Officially named through a sponsorship agreement, it is also known as Paris Arena II or Arena Alice Milliat. The hall was primarily built for the Olympic Summer Games and Summer Paralympics 2024 and is located about 2.5 km from the Olympic village and Paralympic village. Its opening was first planned for summer 2023, then delayed to December 2023 and later planned for January 2024.

The project was developed in response to a reported lack of a medium-sized event hall in Paris below the Accor Arena. Paris Arena II was intended to fill this gap, with 8,000 seats for games and up to 9,000 seats for concerts including the interior area. The building complex also includes 2,600 m² for gastronomy, sports, entertainment events, and pop-up stores. Sustainability measures were part of the construction, including recycled cotton insulation, compressed clay bricks made from Grand Paris Express excavation material, recycled plastic seats, low-carbon concrete, a greened 6,000 m² roof, and wooden-frame construction for two smaller gyms next to the large hall.

Map showing the location of Adidas Arena in Paris
Location of Adidas Arena in Paris

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Location and Development

Adidas Arena is the officially sponsored name of a multipurpose hall in Quartier de la Chapelle, in the 18th Arrondissement of Paris. It is also known as Paris Arena II or Arena Alice Milliat. The venue was primarily built for the Olympic Summer Games and Summer Paralympics 2024, and it is located approximately 2.5 km from both the Olympic village and the Paralympic village. Its opening was initially planned for summer 2023. By December 2022, completion had been delayed to December 2023, and the opening was then planned for January 2024.

A Medium-Sized Hall with Sustainable Design

Adidas Arena, also referred to in the provided facts as Paris Arena II, was developed to fill a gap in Paris for a medium-sized event hall below the Accor Arena, which has around 20,000 seats. The large hall offers 8,000 seats for games and up to 9,000 seats for concerts when the interior area is included. Alongside the main hall, the building contains two gyms named after Alice Coachman and Aimee Lallement. These smaller gyms are intended to support the sports activities of local residents.

The complex also includes 2,600 square metres for gastronomy, sports, entertainment events, and pop-up stores, giving the building a broader public use beyond major events. Sustainability was an important part of the construction. Recycled cotton was used to insulate the large hall, the exterior walls of the reception hall are made of compressed clay bricks produced from excavation material from the Grand Paris Express construction, and the plastic seats are made from recycled material. About one-third of the concrete used is low-carbon. The 6,000 square metre roof is greened, and the two smaller gyms were built as wooden frame constructions.

Construction and Early Use

Work on the site began on March 10, 2020, with the demolition of old buildings in the presence of Mayor Anne Hidalgo. After three months, in summer 2020, earth and foundation works started. Bouygues was commissioned in May 2020 to build Arena Porte de la Chapelle, working on the design with SCAU architecture and NP2F - Architectes. The new hall opened on February 11, 2024.

Paris Basketball uses the arena as its new home venue after leaving the Georges-Carpentier hall, which opened in 1960 and had about 5000 seats. The hall also offered a possible venue for Paris Saint-Germain handball international matches, since Stade Pierre de Coubertin was considered too small and outdated. On the sports side, Paris Basketball played Saint-Quentin Basket-Ball there on the 23rd matchday of the LNB Pro A 2023/24 season and won 87:65. In 2025, the arena hosted the Badminton World Championships.

Naming and Sponsorship

The project was originally known as Paris Arena II before receiving the sponsor name Adidas Arena in July 2022. Adidas, the German sportswear manufacturer, signed a contract with the operating company SAE POPB, which also manages the Accor Arena and the Bataclan. The agreement runs for five years, with a possible seven-year extension, and Adidas pays 2.8 million euros annually. The name change was approved by the Paris City Council in early July 2022 by 33 votes in favor, 17 against, and 26 abstentions. The decision was also the subject of public debate, as activists had called for the hall to be named Arena Alice Milliat instead. Alice Milliat was a French athlete, sports official, and women's rights activist who organized the first Women's World Games in Paris.