For almost 60 years, Lyon have been playing in the Stade de Gerland, a venerable old stadium built in 1914 and a World Cup finals venue in 1998. But their recent run of success of eight consecutive championships from 2002 to 2008 has Lyon planning a rich new future at the Grand Stade in eastern Lyon.

The stadium has been designed by the architects Populous, with a proposed capacity of 62,000 at a projected cost of a not inconsiderable 350 million euros, 100 million over the original estimate.

It was announced last week that the stadium would open in December 2013, and will be located in the Décines area of Lyon. It’s already on France’s proposed stadium list for their Euro 2016 bid.

As usual, the architects have some bluster about the meaning of the stadium which doesn’t seem to bear a lot of relation to the rather standard bowl design:

It sits within an overall masterplan and architectural concept that acknowledges that the event experience extends outside the time constraints of a match within the stadium. It is an experience that can be broken down into the approach, the arrival, the event itself and departure. The build up of anticipation and excitement along this journey is paramount, with the impact of the stadium design extending far beyond its ticketed perimeter.

The stadium has something of an Allianz arena feel to it, with a facade that changes colour and a somewhat cold and bland look to the interior. Not, in my opinion, the most adventurous design around. Your thoughts?

The exterior lit red

Rendering of the interior

Aerial view of the Grand Stade

Inside the Grand Stade

Entrance to the Grand Stade