The IOC’s new headquarters, Olympic House, is designed around three key values/objectives: movement, flexibility and sustainability. Its interior is designed with as few structural constraints as possible, and has a eight-meter column free zone from the façade into the building. The new headquarters of the International Olympic Committee will bring together 600 employees, currently working in disparate offices throughout the city, and is expected to be inaugurated in early 2019.
A transparent double glass façade is the hallmark of the design for Olympic House. Comprising a straight inner layer and a curving, faceted outer layer, the result is a dynamic form that evokes the movement of an Olympic athlete. By optimizing the ‘façade to floor plate’ ratio and creating a fully glazed façade from floor to ceiling, 3XN’s design draws daylight deep into the building. The inner layer features an integrated sunscreen, which enables the outer later to maintain its fully glazed and transparent appearance. As there is a highway close to the building’s north side, the double façade also provides noise reduction for the interiors. A cavity between the façade layers enables easy maintenance while allowing for the dynamic and elegant skin.
Sustainable work environment
The new IOC headquarters will be a one of the most energy efficient glass buildings and aims to achieve the highest sustainable development standards. Solar panels on the roof will produce an amount of electricity equivalent to the consumption of 60 Swiss households. This electricity will allow the building to be self-sufficient in terms of its heating, ventilation, cooling and hot water systems. Through the green roof, terraces and fitness center, the building and natural environment is rich with the opportunity for employees to participate in sport and leisure activities in order to energize themselves throughout the day. Sustainable features such as low-flow taps, toilets, and ‘rainwater harvesting significantly reduce the building’s use of water; while the solar panels located on the roof reduce the need for electricity from the grid.
Upcycled concrete
To achieve a sustainable development, IOC recycled all of the concrete used in its former administration buildings for use in the construction of the new Olympic House. A concrete mixer and all the other machines needed to sort and crush the concrete were installed on the site. A number of tests were carried out by a specialist laboratory to find the mixture for the recycled concrete that would meet the mechanical needs of the civil engineer. Once the calculations had been made, it was agreed that the recycled concrete could be used in different amounts to create the watertight wall around the Olympic House site, and in the apron and outside walls of the underground part of the building. Source by 3XN.
- Location: Lausanne, Switzerland
- Architect: 3XN
- Project Team: Kim Herforth Nielsen, Jan Ammundsen, Bo Boje Larsen, Fred Holt, Søren Nersting, Maria Tkacova, Christian Brink, Bodil Nordstrøm, Nan Shin, Laura Wagner, Olaf Kunert, Kenn Clausen, Stine de Bang, Andrea Baresi, Sang Yeun Lee, Tine Skov, Majbritt Lerche Madsen, Andreas Herborg, Jack Renteria, Jakob Wojcik, Julie Rothman-Pedersen, Kresten Bjerre Basse, Kristoffer Codam, Morten Graversen, Rasmus Møller, Jeppe Kongstad Hjort, Michella Zascha Johansen, Pernille Uglvig Sangvin, Tobias Gagner
- Client: The International Olympic Committee
- Local architect: IttenBrechbühl
- Structural Engineer: Ingeni
- Façade Engineer: Emmer Pfenninger Partner
- Landscape Architects: Hüsler & Associés Sàrl
- MEP: Weinmann Energies SA
- EE: MAB – Ingénerie SA
- Certification: ThemaVerde
- Lighting: Jesper Kongshaug
- Size: 25.000m2
- Completion: 2019
- Images: Courtesy of 3XN