What was the previous function of the building?

The hall operated as a cattle market and slaughterhouse complex before its conversion into a concert venue.

Who designed the original structure?

Architect Tony Garnier designed the building for the municipal authorities of Lyon.

Is the venue classified as a historic landmark?

The site is officially protected as a Monument historique in France.

What Olympic events are planned for this venue?

The arena is selected to host figure skating and short track speed skating during the Winter Olympics.

How is the roof of the main hall supported?

The roof uses a steel truss system on articulated joints that spans the entire hall without central pillars.

Lyon · France

Halle Tony Garnier: what's nearby, how to get there and when to go · 2026

Tenants in Gerland trade quiet residential evenings for massive arena crowds that fill the tramways and avenues on concert nights.

Halle Tony Garnier · CC BY-SA 4.0

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Now in the cityHalle Tony Garnier+10°CPartly cloudyupdated 01:44 PM Around here1

Exchange rate€0.89per 1 $EUR — the local currencyas of Nov 2, 2026

Within two hours

Grande synagogue de Lyon≈ 40 min Hôtel-Dieu de Lyon≈ 40 min Lyon Cathedral≈ 45 min Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière≈ 45 min Théâtre des Célestins≈ 45 min Tour Part-Dieu≈ 50 min

About the place

Tony Garnier conceived the grand hall as an industrial cattle market without interior pillars.

Tony Garnier designed the vast Gerland hall to replace cramped slaughterhouses in Perrache and Vaise that had closed for sanitation issues. The municipality raised the ground to prevent river flooding and connected the complex to the Paris-Lyon-Méditerranée rail lines. Garnier eliminated interior support columns by mounting a steel truss roof on ball-and-socket joints, creating an unobstructed floor under natural glass light.

Read on

Military authorities requisitioned the building as an armory during wartime before meat operations resumed. After livestock operations ceased permanently, local authorities protected the structure as a historic monument and commissioned architects Reichen & Robert alongside HTVS to convert the slaughterhouse into a modern entertainment arena. The venue now stages global music tours and major sporting competitions.

The hall ranks alongside the largest Parisian arenas for indoor audience capacity and is scheduled to host Olympic figure skating and speed skating events. Living nearby alters daily routines during performance evenings. Spectators arrive through local public transport networks, filling neighborhood bistros before showtime and leaving Gerland quiet again once late outbound transit clears the avenues.

Associations

Tony GarnierThe municipal architect planned the vast column-free cattle hall.
La Mouche slaughterhouseIndustrial livestock handling occupied the site before its cultural conversion.
Winter OlympicsSelected to stage Olympic figure skating and short track speed skating.
Event night congestionSpectator crowds overwhelm the surrounding streets and transit stops.

Facts

The main hall roof rests on ball-and-socket joints without any interior support columns.
The French government classified the former abattoir building as an official Monument historique.
The arena will stage figure skating and short track speed skating during the Winter Olympics.
The architectural firms Reichen & Robert and HTVS redesigned the former slaughterhouse into an arena.

Updated September 10, 2026Source: Wikipedia

Halle Tony Garnier: what's nearby, how to get there and when to go · 2026

What is around1

Tony Garnier conceived the grand hall as an industrial cattle market without interior pillars.

Getting there and staying

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