Palais omnisports Marseille Grand-Est
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| Address | 12 boulevard Fernand Bonnefoy |
|---|---|
| Location | Marseille, France |
| Capacity | 5600 (ice hockey) |
| Field size | 60 × 30 metre |
| Surface | 21,487 m2[1] |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 26 April 2007[1] |
| Opened | 11 December 2009[2] |
| Construction cost | € 48 million[2] |
| Architect | Chabanne et partenaires[1] |
| Main contractors | Gagne Construction Métallique Chagnaud Construction SPIE Batignolles/Valérian[3] |
| Tenants | |
| Gabians de Marseille (2009–2012) Spartiates de Marseille (2012–present) | |
The Palais omnisports Marseille Grand-Est (French for 'Marseille Great Eastern Multisport Palace'), abbreviated as POMGE, is a multi-purpose arena primarily used as an ice rink, located in Marseille, Bouches-du-Rhône, France. It is the home venue for ice hockey team Spartiates de Marseille.[4] The complex also houses a skate park which, at the time of its opening, was billed as the largest such indoor installation in Europe.[5]
It was inaugurated in 2009, and is popularly known as Patinoire de la Capelette after the Marseille quarter it sits in, la Capelette.[2]
History[edit]
Ice availability has historically been an issue in the Marseille metropolitan area, one of the France's three largest agglomerations.
A semi-permanent 56 × 26 metre rink was built at the Parc des Expositions Marseille-Chanot in the wake of the 1968 Grenoble Olympics,[6] which introduced ice sports to the broader French public, but it was dismantled in 1974.[6]
A new ice rink, Patinoire du Rouet, opened the same year inside a repurposed fruit packing plant, but it was severely undersized at 40 × 20 metre. The facility closed in 1984 and no other venue would be active in the area until 1993,[6] when a recreational rink measuring 46 × 20 metre opened on Avenue Jules Cantini. However it closed within two years.[6]
Another rink called Megaglace opened in 1994 near the neighbouring college town of Aix-en-Provence. Built inside an old sanitary ware retail space and measuring 42 × 20 metre, it again fell short of the standards expected from a major agglomeration.[7]
Finally in 1998, a sister facility called Megaglace 2 opened in Aubagne. Although still relatively spartan, it boasted a small stand and a 56 × 26 metre track, in compliance with minimum IIHF regulations.[6]
In March 2004, the municipality of Marseille launched preliminary consultations to give the city a suitable ice sports facility as part of a broader urban rehabilitation plan.[8] In March 2005, the project presented by architectural firm Chabanne et partenaires was selected.[9] During most of its planning and building phases, it was tentatively known as Palais de la glace et de la glisse de Marseille.[9]
After some delays, the facility was inaugurated on 11 December 2009, under the new name Palais omnisports Marseille Grand-Est.[2] The ceremony was attended by Minister of Sports Roselyne Bachelot-Narquin, and featured an exhibition by former ISU World Champion ice dancers Isabelle Delobel and Olivier Schoenfelder.[10]
Building[edit]
The POMGE cost an estimated €48 million to build, with most of the work split between main contractors Gagne Construction Métallique, Chagnaud Construction and SPIE Batignolles/Valérian.[3]
Ice rink[edit]
At 5,600 in hockey configuration, the main hall is the largest permanent ice rink in France in terms of spectator capacity,[4] which excludes ice capable entertainment venues such as Paris' Accor Arena, regular home of the ice hockey Coupe de France final.[11] It features an 1800 m2 Olympic size pad.[3]
The second ice rink is a recreational track, and has an unconventional shape consisting of circular areas and elliptical corridors. It has a surface of 1250 m2.[2]
Skate park[edit]
In addition to the ice facilities, the Palais offers a 3500 m2 indoor skate park for roller skating, skateboarding and BMX activities.[2] It has a capacity of 750 spectators, extensible to 1500.[5]
Notable events[edit]
- 2010 French Figure Skating Championships
- 2015 ice hockey Coupe de France Final
- 2017 ISU Grand Prix Final
References[edit]
- ^ a b c Galoffre, Céline (27 April 2007). "Un Palais de la glisse à Marseille". batiactu.com. BatiActu Groupe. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f de Broqua, Aliette (10 December 2009). "Le Palais Omnisports de Marseille Grand-Est inauguré le 11 décembre". econostrum.info. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
- ^ a b c "Inauguration du Palais Omnisports Marseille Grand-Est" (PDF) (Press release). Service de presse–Ville de Marseille. 11 December 2009. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
- ^ a b "Hockey sur glace : coup de projecteur sur ces Marseillais nouveaux champions de France de Division 1". france3-regions.francetvinfo.fr. France TV. 26 April 2021. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
- ^ a b Fontana, Jean-Baptiste (15 March 2010). "Marseille : Le Palais de la Glisse et de la Glace propose le plus grand skate-park indoor d'Europe". frequence-sud.fr. Ifestival. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
- ^ a b c d e Ferrari, Christine; Gaudence, Robert; David, Jean; Foulon, Pascal; Autié, Gérard. "Histoire du hockey sur glace à Marseille". hockeyarchives.info. Marc Branchu. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
- ^ Brayer, Thierry (22 August 2020). "La patinoire d'Aix-en-Provence". laixois.fr. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
- ^ Challiol, Brigitte (22 April 2004). "La ville de Marseille redessine ses quartiers à l'entrée de l'autoroute est". lesechos.com. Pearson. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
- ^ a b "Marseille, enfin, à l'âge de glace". cyberarchi.com. Groupe Cyber Archi. 9 March 2005. Archived from the original on 2005-03-15. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
- ^ Fiorito, Jean-Jacques (12 December 2009). "C'est parti pour le palais de la glace à Marseille". laprovence.com. Groupe La Provence. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
- ^ "Spectacle Paris Accord Hotel Arena". nsworld.fr. NS World. Retrieved 5 October 2021.