Gymnase Henri Ferrari

The Gymnase Henri Ferrari is a sports facility in Montpellier. The name painted above the entrance honours a local weightlifter who won world silver in 1974.

Inside, the oak parquet floor has been resurfaced with a synthetic layer approved for high-level handball. The upper tier has no seats at all, just bare concrete steps that have worn smooth from decades of use.

A few years ago, architects from Ecostudio proposed an expansion that would have added a second gymnasium and a new entrance facing the parking lot, but the project was abandoned without explanation. The building remains exactly as it was, with the same double doors and the same narrow corridor leading to the changing rooms.

Frontignan Thau Handball plays its matches here, which means the hall fills with the sound of rubber soles squeaking on the synthetic surface and the occasional whistle from the referee. The team has never been anything more than a mid-table side in the second division, and the crowd rarely exceeds two hundred, which is perhaps why the building has never felt the need to change.

The only notable feature is a small plaque near the main entrance listing the names of local athletes who have competed in the gymnasium, though the handwriting has faded and several names are barely legible. The parking lot in front has enough space for about thirty cars, which is sufficient for most weekends but fills up quickly when the local school holds an event.