Garden Padel at Roland-Garros: a prestigious giant structure
There are venues that must be earned. Roland-Garros is one of them. The Court Philippe-Chatrier as a backdrop. The red brick walkways of the world temple of tennis. It is in this exceptional setting that the Garden Padel giant letters were installed, signed Au Pied de la Lettre, French leader in the manufacture of XXL monumental structures.
Reproducing the visual identity of Garden Padel therefore carries an immense responsibility. Every colour must be respected. Every detail, held. No concession on the finish is conceivable — not here, not in this place.
A structure in two parts: navy blue and gradient
The Garden Padel monumental structure is made up of two distinct registers. At the top, GARDEN in massive navy blue letters, textured and dense. At the bottom, PADEL in a spectacular gradient: from vivid yellow to green, then to icy cyan.
Two families of forms, therefore. Two manufacturing logics. Two radically different finishes. And yet, a single coherent whole, placed on a navy blue base fitted with recessed LED spots.
Our teams mobilised the full manufacturing chain: CNC laser cutting, bespoke rolling and assembly, continuous welds imperceptible after finishing, navy blue epoxy paint with textured effect for the upper register, hand-applied chrome gradient on the PADEL letters, and low-consumption LED integration in the base. From raw steel to the monumental structure installed on site, we subcontract nothing.
The racket: when detail becomes signature
It is the detail that makes all the difference. Where others might have simply placed a plain P, we integrated a 3D padel racket in volume directly into the structure. Perforated, faithful to the real proportions of a racket, it sits naturally within the lettering without ever unbalancing it.
Manufacturing this piece required a fully dedicated process. Every perforation cut by laser. Every curve of the head rolled with precision. The junction between the racket and the rest of the PADEL lettering had to be imperceptible — as if it had always been there.
This kind of detail sums up well what we do at Au Pied de la Lettre. Not simply manufacturing giant letters. Understanding a brand identity and translating it into steel, down to the last millimetre.
A transport system that reinvents the rules
This project also introduces an innovation that very few manufacturers offer. The Garden Padel structure features an integrated protection and transport system: grey panels assembled like doors that entirely envelop the piece when closed.
From the outside, a compact and neutral block. Inside, the colourful structure waits. When the doors open, the gradient explodes. The reveal effect is immediate, spectacular, deliberate.
This is not packaging. It is a dramaturgy. The structure does not simply install — it reveals itself. And this ability to think the experience beyond the object itself is precisely what sets Au Pied de la Lettre apart from a simple supplier.
On site: a presence that defines the space
Installed in the walkways of Roland-Garros, facing the Court Philippe-Chatrier, the Garden Padel giant structure does not seek to blend into the surroundings. It captures them. Within moments, it becomes the natural visual landmark of the event.
Visitors converge towards it naturally. Photos follow one after another. Every image shared on social media becomes, effortlessly, an XXL communication action for the brand. That is the power of a well-designed monumental logo: it does not decorate, it embodies.
Au Pied de la Lettre expertise: far more than a manufacturer
Behind every project that leaves our workshops, there is a method. A method built project after project, client after client, over the years.
Au Pied de la Lettre is not a printer that simply enlarges things. We are first and foremost metalwork manufacturers, mastering steel, aluminium, rolling, welding and finishing from A to Z. Furthermore, we innovate with every project — the Garden Padel panel system is the most recent proof of this. A poorly executed gradient, a visible weld, a colour slightly off brand: these imperfections never reach the client. They are corrected in the workshop, before they are even noticed.
Today, this expertise allows us to work for sports clubs and internationally renowned events alike. The Garden Padel giant letters at Roland-Garros are, without doubt, the most eloquent demonstration of that.
Do you have a project for giant letters, an XXL logo or a monumental structure? Sports club, brand, event agency: let’s talk.