Wikipedia

Patinoire Michel-Raffoux

Patinoire Michel-Raffoux (English: Michel Raffoux Ice Rink) is an ice rink located in the harbor of Dunkirk, Pas-de-Calais, France. It is the second venue to bear that name after another located in the beach district of Malo-les-Bains, which it replaced.[11] Like its predecessor, it serves as the home venue for ice hockey team Corsaires de Dunkerque.

Patinoire Michel-Raffoux
Map
AddressRoute du Quai Freycinet 3
Môle 1
LocationDunkirk, Pas-de-Calais, France
Coordinates51°2′13.3″N 2°21′55.1″E / 51.037028°N 2.365306°E / 51.037028; 2.365306
Public transitBus interchange Môle 1
OwnerCommunauté urbaine de Dunkerque[5]
OperatorVert Marine[6]
Executive suites6[7]
Capacity1400 (seated)[7][8]
1700 (total)[5][8]
Field size60 × 30-metre (rink 1)
42 × 20-metre (rink 2)[9]
Surface7890 m2[9]
Construction
Broke ground27 January 2018[1]
Opened1 August 2019 (opening)[2][3]
6 September 2019 (inauguration ceremony)[4]
Construction cost€21 million[10]
ArchitectChabanne et Partenaires[9]
General contractorRamery[8]
Tenants
Corsaires de Dunkerque
(2019–present)

History

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The new building replaces its older namesake, a 56 × 26-metre facility inaugurated on 7 November 1970[5] and demolished in late 2019. Beyond the name, there is no connection between the two, as the old Patinoire Michel-Raffoux sat near the city's casino and congress center, two kilometers to the northeast of the new one.[11] Both were named in honor of Michel Raffoux (1934–1990), a former president of the Corsaires and the French Ice Sports Federation's Northern Minor Hockey League.[12]

Negotiations to replace the aging rink had been ongoing for years when,[13] during a 1 November 2014 game against Reims, an errand puck flew into the unprotected stands and hit 8-year-old fan Hugo Vermeersh in the temple, mortally injuring him.[14][15] The child's death and resulting national media attention lent added gravitas to calls for an up-to-date venue, which received funding from the Communauté urbaine de Dunkerque in late 2015.[16]

The current version was inaugurated in the summer of 2019. It is located on a disused mole in Dunkirk harbor, half a mile west of Dunkirk city centre.[9]

Design

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The new Patinoire Michel-Raffoux represented the second phase of the mole's rehabilitation project, following architect fr:Pierre-Olivier Faloci's remodel of the Halle aux Sucres, a late 19th-century warehouse built by fr:Paul Friesé, into an information commons.[9] Patinoire Michel-Raffoux stands next to it, and its proportions are meant to echo those of Faloci's work.[17][1] As a further nod to the area's industrial background, three of the rink's sides have been covered with aluminum panels that simulate a rusted look. The remaining short side is a 45 × 10-metre wall of glass. Its northerly orientation allows a view on the Halle aux Sucres' central aisle while protecting the recreational rink, which it borders, from excess sun glare.[1]

The building consists of an Olympic-sized track and a smaller recreational track. The main hall is equipped with six VIP boxes, and a restaurant with a row of club-level seats above the home goal. It was designed by Chabanne et Partenaires, who also created ice arenas for the agglomerations of Angers, Cergy-Pontoise and Marseille.[18]

Notable events

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Jannekeyn, Fabrice (29 January 2018). "Nouvelle patinoire de Dunkerque, 1ère pierre posée !". Actualités (in French). Corsaire TV. Retrieved 9 September 2022.
  2. ^ Saroul, Kévin (30 July 2019). "La nouvelle patinoire : un lieu haut de gamme pour tous". nordlittoral.fr. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
  3. ^ "La nouvelle patinoire Michel-Raffoux ouvrira ses portes le 1er août". lavoixdunord.fr. 19 June 2019. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
  4. ^ "Tout le monde mobilisé pour fêter la nouvelle patinoire". deltafm.fr. 6 September 2019. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
  5. ^ a b c Chabas, Sébastien (19 September 2016). "La patinoire de Dunkerque conçue entre mer et terre". batiactu.com (in French). Retrieved May 29, 2023.
  6. ^ "Dunkerque: gérée par Vert Marine, la patinoire ne risque pas la fermeture". lavoixdunord.fr. 6 September 2022. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
  7. ^ a b "La patinoire entre en piste". Le journal communautaire. No. 26. Dunkirk: Communauté urbaine Dunkerque Grand Littoral. December 2017. p. 12.
  8. ^ a b c "Nouveau terrain de jeu pour les corsaires". ramery.fr. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
  9. ^ a b c d e "Lens / Dunkerque" (PDF). Carnet de voyage. Nantes: Association régionale pour la diffusion et la promotion de l’architecture. October 2020.
  10. ^ Kiavué, Julie (1 February 2018). "Les travaux lancés, Dunkerque accueillera sa nouvelle patinoire à l'été 2019". actu.fr. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
  11. ^ a b "Dunkerque : l'ancienne patinoire vit ses dernières heures". lavoixdunord.fr. 19 November 2019. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
  12. ^ "Le Temple de la renommée". hockeycorsaires.com. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
  13. ^ "Dunkerque : la future patinoire dévoilée". francetvinfo.fr. 9 March 2016. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
  14. ^ "Dunkerque sous le choc après la mort d'Hugo". lepoint.fr. AFP. 3 November 2014. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
  15. ^ "Dunkerque : Hugo, 8 ans, tué par un palet de hockey". ladepeche.fr. 3 November 2014. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
  16. ^ "Dunkerquois : Pour le projet de patinoire, les élus communautaires disent 'OK'". lavoixdunord.fr. 15 December 2015. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
  17. ^ Mével, Nadège (May–July 2021). "Patinoire Michel-Raffoux à Dunkerque par l'agence Chabanne". Exé. No. 44. Quimper: Éditions Fitamant.
  18. ^ "Chabanne Architecte". archi-guide.com. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
  19. ^ Delporte, David (18 December 2019). "Dunkerque s'offre les premiers championnats de France des sports de glace". lavoixdunord.fr. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
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