To reduce the carbon footprint while completing the renovation, and do things differently, we are using products and materials that will not need to be manufactured.' There is something sculptural in their alignments and the dimension and proportion of La Meinau’s south grand stand gave us the opportunity to play with the scale of these fuselages. 'We have always been intrigued by the massive American aircraft graveyards and the geometrical juxtaposition of all these planes.

'We approached an airplane maintenance company with the idea of repurposing the aluminum which was originally manufactured at the end of the 80s,' a Populous representative told New Atlas in an email. Most notable is the plan to repurpose 4,400 sq m (roughly 47,300 sq ft) of decommissioned A340 Airbus aircraft fuselage sections to create the stadium's new south facade sunshade (though admittedly you can't tell from the renders provided). The Stade de la Meinau renovation will be extensive and involve the demolition of existing stands. The project will boost capacity, improve sustainability, and incorporate airplane fuselages for shading. Populous is putting a fresh aeronautical spin on a soccer stadium in France with a €100 million (roughly US$120 million) renovation of Strasbourg's Stade de la Meinau.

Populous architecture