Development of the Grand Marais 1959–1967 (≈ 1963)
Transformation into a leisure area and sports.
octobre 1963
Laying the first stone
Laying the first stone octobre 1963 (≈ 1963)
Official start of construction.
février 1970
Inauguration of La Soucoupe
Inauguration of La Soucoupe février 1970 (≈ 1970)
Opening after seven years of work.
27 février 1976
Boxing fighting Cazeaux vs Haeck
Boxing fighting Cazeaux vs Haeck 27 février 1976 (≈ 1976)
An important sporting event in the room.
29 mai 2019
Historical monument classification
Historical monument classification 29 mai 2019 (≈ 2019)
Recognition of its architectural heritage.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
The following elements composing the hall of the Grand Marais Sports Park known as "La Soucoupe" : "La Soucoupe" in total (including the floor), with its exterior staircases, the guardrails and the two entrance ramps, the fireplace, the facades and roofs of the guardhouse, located at Léo Lagrange Avenue, according to the right-of-way delimited by a red line on the plan annexed to the order (cad. CN 23, 24, not cadastre): inscription by order of 29 May 2019
Key figures
Roger Vissuzaine - Architect
Main designer of La Soucoupe.
René Sarger - Consulting engineer
Technical contributor to the project.
Roland Cazeaux - Boxer
European champion who fought in 1976.
Origin and history
La Soucoupe, or Palais des sports de Saint-Nazaire, is built between 1963 and 1970 in the heart of an area of 52 hectares dedicated to sports and leisure. This project is part of a desire for post-Second World War modernization, where sport is seen as a lever for national recovery through physical education. The city, faced with unstable soil after emplacement (500,000 m3 of rubble and 600,000 m3 of sand), opted for a light structure in the shape of a spherical cap, minimizing foundations. The architects Vissuzaine, Longuet, Rivière, and Joly (municipal architect) designed a bold building, inaugurated in 1970 after seven years of construction marked by technical and social hazards.
The construction site rests on 166 Franki piles to stabilize the structure, while the ultra-light roof (12 kg/m2) combines a double tri-directional mesh with sandwich materials (polyvinyl, polystyrene, aluminum). The cap is 83 metres in diameter and 21 metres high and weighs 900,000 tons. Despite the delays caused by the bankruptcy of the wholesale enterprise, the weather, and the strikes of 1968, the hall was finally opened to the public in February 1970. Originally designed to host sports and shows, it now devotes itself almost exclusively to sporting events, with only three annual cultural events.
La Soucoupe is listed as a historical monument in 2019 for its technical ingenuity, architectural coherence, and integration into an urban complex dedicated to leisure. Its futuristic design, inspired by the needs of the soil and the social ambitions of the time, makes it a symbol of architectural innovation of the Thirty Glories. The site replaces old obsolete sports facilities (Le Plessis, Méan-Penhoët), centralizing activities in a modern space close to the city centre.
Among the notable events, the hall hosted in 1976 a boxing fight between Roland Cazeaux and Luc Rudi Haeck, as well as an exhibition of the Harlem Globetrotters in 2010. These examples illustrate its initial versatility, although its current use is mostly sporting. The 2019 protection covers the entire building, including its exterior stairs, guardrails, and guardhouse, emphasizing its heritage importance.
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