Court 2 at Roland-Garros was built in 1994 as a lean, open-air concrete seating bowl. A new roof has been constructed over the existing court, combining an innovative mobile folding membrane system with a surrounding steel truss frame supported on four corner towers. The lightness and the transparency of the membrane roof, spanning 45m and unfolding over 90m, offers an elegant and structurally efficient response. The project team minimised the steel carbon footprint through structural optimisation and targeted conversations with the supply chain.
This project showcases an innovative and lightweight long-span roof solution. The tensioned cable structure advances moving roof designs by making clever use of prestressing. When deployed, the only structure on show above the court are the cables and translucent membrane, providing a feeling of lightness in the roof made possible by concealed trusses at the perimeter.
The structural engineers designed a unique and astute solution to a challenging problem.