 | |
| Address | 12 boulevard Fernand Bonnefoy |
|---|---|
| Location | Marseille, France |
| Capacity | 5600 (ice hockey) |
| Field size | 60 × 30 metre |
| Surface | 21,487 m |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 26 April 2007 |
| Opened | 11 December 2009 |
| Construction cost | € 48 million |
| Architect | Chabanne et partenaires |
| Main contractors | Gagne Construction Métallique Chagnaud Construction SPIE Batignolles/Valérian |
| 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. The complex also houses a skate park which, at the time of its opening, was billed as the largest such indoor installation in Europe.
It was inaugurated in 2009, and is popularly known as Patinoire de la Capelette after the Marseille quarter it sits in, la Capelette.
History
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, which introduced ice sports to the broader French public, but it was dismantled in 1974.
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, when a recreational rink measuring 46 × 20 metre opened on Avenue Jules Cantini. However it closed within two years.
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.
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.
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. In March 2005, the project presented by architectural firm Chabanne et partenaires was selected. During most of its planning and building phases, it was tentatively known as Palais de la glace et de la glisse de Marseille.
After some delays, the facility was inaugurated on 11 December 2009, under the new name Palais omnisports Marseille Grand-Est. 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.
Building
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.
Ice rink
At 5,600 in hockey configuration, the main hall is the largest permanent ice rink in France in terms of spectator capacity, which excludes ice capable entertainment venues such as Paris' Accor Arena, regular home of the ice hockey Coupe de France final. It features an 1800 m Olympic size pad.
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 m.
Skate park
In addition to the ice facilities, the Palais offers a 3500 m indoor skate park for roller skating, skateboarding and BMX activities. It has a capacity of 750 spectators, extensible to 1500.
Notable events
- 2010 French Figure Skating Championships
- 2015 ice hockey Coupe de France Final
- 2017 ISU Grand Prix Final
References
- ^ Galoffre, Céline (27 April 2007). "Un Palais de la glisse à Marseille". batiactu.com. BatiActu Groupe. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
- ^ de Broqua, Aliette (10 December 2009). "Le Palais Omnisports de Marseille Grand-Est inauguré le 11 décembre". econostrum.info. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
- ^ "Inauguration du Palais Omnisports Marseille Grand-Est" (PDF) (Press release). Service de presse–Ville de Marseille. 11 December 2009. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
- ^ "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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "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.
External links
43°16′55″N 5°24′06″E / 43.28207°N 5.40174°E / 43.28207; 5.40174
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