France’s Olympique Lyonnais Lion Stands Tall in Bush-hammered Concrete

Lyon, France is undergoing an urban renewal, beginning with the new Grand Stade football stadium and the rail line, and now with the new Olympique Lyonnais football club training and residential center in Meyzieu. Named the OL Academie Groupama, the center is envisioned as France's premier mixed-training facility, with six football fields, training buildings, restaurant, library and classrooms over a total surface area of 68,000 square meters, completed in 6 months.

CEMEX delivered a range of concretes for the structural work and for the artistic façade. A majestic lion, the club's emblem, is engraved onto the wall perpendicular to the entrance.

“We’re multifaceted at CEMEX, we know that we can supply products and materials to satisfy all types of our clients’ needs, and we have a lot of fun when our products give artists the opportunity and ability to be creative,” said Thierry Mosnier, a director at CEMEX France, “We have worked with artists and architects in the past and hope to continue doing so in upcoming years.”

The special work of art took six days to complete, was carried out by two people working entirely by hand to draw the Olympique Lyonnais lion's form by lifting a layer of cement using a serrated-edged jackhammer. The contours of the animal were engraved onto the concrete with the help of stencils. The lion's claws were sculpted using chisels, so rigorous attention to detail was required to avoid cracking the concrete at the edges of the outline.

In addition to structural concrete for the buildings, CEMEX also produced a bush-hammered concrete for the wall using a tailored mix of our specialty architectural concrete. The concrete was poured in 60-centimeter bands into metal formwork panels which avoided any blistering on the surface of the wall.

The quality of CEMEX concrete allowed the artists to give expression to the full range of their skills and imagination in the creation of this medium-defining aesthetic work. Another way CEMEX helps artists project become a reality.

CEMEX is a global building materials company that provides high quality products and reliable service to customers and communities in more than 50 countries. Founded in 1906, CEMEX has a rich history of improving the well-being of those it serves through innovative building solutions, efficiency advancements, and efforts to promote a sustainable future.