Sud de France Arena

It is easy to mistake the building for a football ground. The structure is a multi-purpose arena rather than a dedicated pitch. Inside, the floor is a versatile system capable of becoming an ice rink or a swimming pool, though the exterior offers no glimpse of that flexibility.

The name has changed several times since the building opened, shifting from Arena Montpellier to its current title, Sud de France Arena. The primary tenant is Montpellier Handball, a club that plays its domestic matches here rather than at the football stadium. The capacity shifts depending on the event; for concerts, the space can hold 14,000 people, while a basketball game might see just over 10,000 in the stands. The architect, A+ Architecture, designed the building as a functional hub for the region, prioritising the transformation of space over the permanence of a single sport. Visitors arrive via tram line 3 or by car, parking in the large lot that stretches out towards the front of the building.