inside the paris olympics' temporary pavilions with photographer aurélien chen

Aurélien Chen captures Archi-folies at Paris Olympics 2024

French architect and photographer Aurélien Chen offers a glimpse into the 20 ephemeral pavilions designed to host sports federations during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. In his latest photographic project, Chen captures the Archi-Folies 2024 project, part of the Cultural Olympiad, which was completed by the Ministry of Culture in collaboration with national graduate schools of architecture and landscape (ENSA). Inaugurated on June 13, 2024, at Parc de la Villette, these prefabricated pavilions serve as meeting points between architecture and sport. Their innovative designs embody the Olympic values defined by the Paris 2024 Games, which emphasize being iconic, ecological, committed, equal, inclusive, sober, and unifying.

Les Ram’eaux by ENSA Nancy X FF Aviron | all images by Aurélien Chen

Ministry of Culture & ENSA collaborate on temporary pavilions

To create the pavilions, the French Ministry of Culture invited the 20 national graduate schools of architecture and landscape to participate. Each ENSA collaborated with a sports federation, providing students with an opportunity to explore the imagination of sport and confront the act of building. Accompanied by their teachers, the students worked closely with various sports federations to ensure the pavilions reflected the identity of each sport while maintaining functionality. After dedicating a year to the architectural design of the pavilions, 2024 was focused on their manufacture.

The ephemeral structures, photographed by Aurélien Chen, house teams for sports such as canoeing, rowing, pentathlon, and archery. The French photographer highlights the project’s nod to the spirit of the ‘follies’ by architect Bernard Tschumi, which punctuate the Parc de la Villette. Following a prefabricated construction, the pavilions are built using sustainable materials and techniques. In accordance with Paris 2024’s Legacy and Sustainability Plan, these structures will be dismantled and repurposed after the Olympic and Paralympic Games, benefiting local authorities and other partners. Additionally, some sports federations plan to retain them to help promote their disciplines.

Surf La Kaz by ENSA La Réunion X FF Surf

Coup De Poing by ENSA Paris-Val de Seine X FF Boxe

Coup De Poing by ENSA Paris-Val de Seine X FF Boxe

Le Triangle by ENSA Strasbourg X FF Triathlon 

Le Manège by ENSA Versailles X FF Equitation

La Routine by ENSA Paris-Belleville X FF Athlétisme

Le Vélodôme by ENSA Clermont-Ferrand X FF Cyclisme

Le Vélodôme by ENSA Clermont-Ferrand X FF Cyclisme

Up’N’Out by ENSA Paris-La Villette X FF Lutte

Up’N’Out by ENSA Paris-La Villette X FF Lutte

project info: 

name: Archi-Folies 2024
supported by: French Ministry of Culture | @culture_gouv

in partnership with: La Villette, the French National Olympic and Sports Committee (CNOSF), the Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris 2024
implemented by: ENSAP Bordeaux, ENSA Bretagne, ENSA Clermont-Ferrand, ENSA Grenoble, ENSAP Lille, ENSA Lyon, ENSA Paris-Est, ENSA Marseille, ENSA Montpellier, ENSA La Réunion, ENSA Nancy, ENSA Paris-Belleville, ENSA Paris-La Villette, ENSA Paris Malaquais, ENSA Paris-Val de Seine, ENSA Saint-Etienne, ENSA Strasbourg, ENSA Toulouse, ENSA Versailles and ESA (Special School of Architecture)
location: La Villette, Paris, France
photography: Aurélien Chen | @aurelien_chen_photography