Palais des sports André-Brouat

The arena that stands in the Compans-Caffarelli district of Toulouse today was born from the wreckage of another. The original Palais des Sports de Toulouse opened in 1983, a pleasant enough venue for the city, but a blast from the AZF factory explosion on September 21, 2001, reduced much of it to rubble. The current structure, rebuilt on the same site, reopened in September 2006. Inside, the floor is a synthetic Gerflor PVC surface. This is the home court for the Fenix Toulouse Handball club, which competes in the LNH Starligue. The volleyball side, Spacer’s Toulouse Volley, shares the space. The arena was renamed in March 2006, just before the doors opened to the public, in honour of André Brouat, a former rugby player and local municipal councilor. The capacity sits at 4,397. A demountable wooden parquet floor, the Woodflex Performer system, was installed in 2018, allowing the venue to host basketball and futsal events. The artificial surface does not breathe, and the air inside the arena is always recycled, but the crowd noise carries well off the high ceiling.

The arena that stands in the Compans-Caffarelli district of Toulouse today was born from the wreckage of another.