On June 23, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) will inaugurate Olympic House, its new headquarters building in Lausanne, Switzerland, whose construction is nearing completion.
The building will allow the IOC to consolidate its staff of more than 500 people, who are currently scattered across several buildings in Lausanne. The design of the new building—by the architectural firms 3NX and IttenBrechbühl—reflects the Committee’s values and mission, according to Thomas Bach, IOC’s president.
Last week, Bach and Kim Herforth Nielsen, 3XN’s cofounder and Principal, presented a preview of Olympic House to the business press at The Plaza Hotel in New York.
The 145 million Swiss Franc (US$146 million) building, with 22,000 sm (236,806 sf) of usable space, will be located within Louis Bourget Park, one of Lausanne’s largest. Part of the park has been incorporated into the building’s design, whose key objectives correspond with the Olympics’ principles of movement, transparency, flexibility, sustainability, and collaboration.
Olympic House is situated within one of Lausanne's largest parks. Image: 3XN
“It’s important to have a story when designing a building,” said Nielsen of Copenhagen-based 3XN, whose design for Olympic House was selected by the IOC Executive Board from 114 entries.
For example, the top of Olympic House is shaped, symbolically, like a dove, representing peace. And in the building’s basement will be a sculpture of an olive tree.
The building façade’s undulating flow pays tribute to athletic movement. The building’s interior—which is supported by only four service cores and 14 pillars—speaks to its structural flexibility. Olympic House is also striving to meet international sustainability standards established by LEED, Minergie (the Swiss energy standard), and SNBS (the Swiss sustainable building standard).
A pumping station will draw water from nearby Lake Geneva to cool and heat the building. Solar panels on the roof will generate 10% of the building’s electricity use, equivalent to the consumption of 60 Swiss households. Olympic House’s shape optimizes daylight coming into the building. The facility will also collect rainwater to recycle for plant irrigation and toilet flushing. (The building’s water consumption is expected to by 60% of a comparable office building.)
A steel-and-wood-clad circular staircase is designed to suggest the five Olympic rings. Image: 3XN
One of the more striking design features of Olympic House is its steel-and-wood-clad Unity Staircase, which soars the full height of the building. Intended to reference the five Olympic rings, the staircase will unify the building’s floors. It is being presented as a visual expression of collaboration between IOC and its stakeholders. (Worldwide, there are 206 national Olympic committees.)
IOC is also collaborating with three worldwide Olympic partners: Dow, which is helping the Committee achieve its carbon neutrality goals; Toyota, which is developing a pilot program to install hydrogen stations in Switzerland for vehicles powered by fuel cells; and Panasonic, which is supplying A/V equipment for Olympic House’s meeting rooms.
IOC’s investment in this project includes the renovation of Le Château de Vidy, an 18th Century castle located within Olympic House’s public space.
Founded in Paris in 1894, IOC has undergone several significant reforms under the leadership of the 65-year-old Bach, a German lawyer and Olympic gold medalist in fencing, who became the Committee’s ninth president in September 2013. These reforms include a commitment to publishing an annual financial report, strengthening the role of its Ethics Committee, and auditing national committees that receive money from IOC. The organization is committed to redistributing 90% of its annual revenue to athletes from developing countries.
Related Stories
Museums | Sep 22, 2015
David Adjaye releases plans for Ruby City art gallery in San Antonio
San Antonio's Ruby City will hold 800 works of art in 10,000 sf of exhibition space.
Casinos | Sep 22, 2015
Sovereign territory ruling allows for Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe's $500 million casino
The Massachusetts-based tribe has plans for a 150,000-sf casino and 600-room hotel, along with a waterpark and event center.
Libraries | Aug 27, 2015
Barack Obama Foundation begins search for presidential library architect
Both national and foreign firms will compete for chance to design the Chicago-based Presidential Center.
Cultural Facilities | Aug 19, 2015
Proposed “High Line” in Mexico City pays homage to Aztec aqueduct
Plans for Mexico City’s elevated park include an amphitheatre and al fresco cafés.
Cultural Facilities | Aug 5, 2015
Ultramoderne wins Chicago Architecture Biennial kiosk design competition
Dubbed Chicago Horizon, the 3,200-sf structure will feature a chin-height rooftop viewing platform that will offer visitors unimpeded views of Lake Michigan and the Chicago skyline.
Cultural Facilities | Aug 4, 2015
London set to have world’s tallest and longest slide
The city of London recently approved a proposal to add a slide to the Anish Kapoor- and Cecil Balmond-designed ArcelorMittal Orbit.
Cultural Facilities | Aug 3, 2015
Funding needed for Washington's Desert Storm memorial
The National Desert Storm Memorial Foundation has a $25 million goal for the project.
Transit Facilities | Jul 30, 2015
Snøhetta designs ring-shaped cable car station in Italian Alps
In Snøhetta’s design, two cylindrical rings embedded into the existing topography, each at different elevations, will be connected by a cable car. During the minute-long cable car journey, passengers can enjoy views of the city and of the Italian Alps.
Museums | Jul 28, 2015
MUST SEE: Zaha Hadid's latest museum project is built into a mountain
The museum, dedicated to legendary mountaineer Reinhold Messner, is embedded within Mount Kronplatz in northern Italy.
Performing Arts Centers | Jul 27, 2015
Vox Populi: Netherlands municipality turns to public vote to select design for new theater
UNStudio’s Theatre on the Parade received nearly three-fifths of votes cast in contest between two finalists.