- Client: Arena Overlay
- Location: Paris, France
- Dates: October 2023 – October 2024
- Timeline: ~60 weeks on-site
By the Numbers:
- 12M tickets sold (record-breaking sales across both games)
- 11 Olympic and Paralympic venues (aquatics, rugby, football, boxing, golf, etc.)
The Challenge
The Paris 2024 Games (Olympic and Paralympic) demanded overlay at scale, and scaffolding was at the heart of it. As commodity manager for all scaffolding structures across 11 venues spanning rugby, golf, football, boxing, modern pentathlon and more, Xplor was responsible for consistency, safety, and precision across hundreds of temporary builds. It meant managing multiple suppliers, navigating European building codes, coordinating design approvals, and ensuring every structure met both international federation standards and broadcast requirements.
At the same time, we delivered one of the Games’ flagship venues: the Aquatics Centre. Our role covered full overlay and venue management across both the Olympic and Paralympic competitions from field-of-play platforms, judges’ towers, and broadcast camera rigs to tech screens, floor finishes, and specialist sports equipment. We also built a secondary Olympic-standard pool, fully climate-controlled and delivered in partnership with pool engineers, alongside the fan entrance experience and guest village.
The pressure? Immense. Ultra-tight timelines, complex regulations, multilingual coordination, and a 14-month on-the-ground delivery window. The outcome? Safe, world-class environments that stood up to Olympic and Paralympic scrutiny, giving athletes, fans, and broadcasters unforgettable experiences on the biggest stage in sport.
Our Approach
- Acted as commodity manager across 11 Olympic and Paralympic venues, aligning multiple suppliers under one consistent standard.
- Implemented rigorous scaffold safety and compliance checks, meeting both European building regulations and international federation requirements.
- Coordinated design approvals, logistics, and integration with global stakeholders across two Games.
- Delivered full Aquatics Centre overlay: competition and training pools, sports equipment, media/broadcast platforms, and guest experience areas.
- Delivered the Aquatics fan village and spectator entrance, ensuring accessibility and inclusivity for Olympic and Paralympic audiences alike.
The Impact
- Our delivery provided the Games with a unified scaffolding and overlay standard across 11 venues, raising safety, efficiency, and presentation levels under extraordinary pressure.
- At the Aquatics Centre, Olympic and Paralympic athletes competed and trained in environments built with precision, while fans, VIPs, and broadcasters enjoyed a seamless experience. The additional Olympic-standard pool expanded training capacity, keeping competition schedules on track.
- Result: a safe, inclusive, and athlete-first Games environment that delivered on the world stage, proving that with the right expertise, even the most complex overlay challenges can be Built Better.