Landmark stadium to fall

The City of Lausanne, Switzerland, has announced that the 104 year old, 15,900 seater, Stade olympique de la Pontaise will be demolished early as a result of fears over its structural safety. According to reports, engineers have uncovered weak areas in the Olympic stadium’s foundations that date back to 1949. Originally, the stadium was due for demolition in 2011, but demolition will now begin in a matter of days.

The stadium is currently home to the Lausanne-Sports football (soccer) team, who will now play their ‘home’ games at the Samaranch stadium in Vidy. The venue has also recently hosted the annual Athletissima summer track and field event. This in turn will now be transferred to the Pierre-de-Coubertin stadium,

The stadium was slated for demolition as a part of Lausanne’s Metamorphose urban regeneration scheme, with a new stadium being built as a replacement.