Location: Lausanne, Switzerland.

Architect: 3XN Architects and Itten+Brechbühl.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) will open its new Olympic House in Lausanne in June 2019. The building will bring together the IOC’s 500 employees, currently located in four sites across the city, under one roof. The Olympic House has been designed to reflect the IOC’s core values of movement, transparency, flexibility, sustainability and collaboration. The building’s undulating façade, which is wrapped in a double layer of glazing, is intended to reflect the movements of an athlete. The interior has minimal structural constraints, with an eight-metre column-free zone from the façade, creating a flexible workspace that encourages interaction and brings daylight into the building. The Unity Staircase, which references the Olympic Rings, connects the five floors through a central atrium. The building has been designed to meet the most demanding sustainability standards, with features including the use of upcycled concrete from previous administration buildings, rainwater harvesting, roof solar panels and a pumping station to collect water from the adjacent lake to cool and heat the building. The design aims for LEED® Platinum certification as well as Minergie P and LNBS certification. The Olympic House has been developed in consultation with local authorities and is intended to become an emblematic architectural landmark and an important element of the local Louis Bourget public park. The building’s design aims to integrate with the park’s unique natural and historical setting. The IOC has committed to sustainability in the building’s design, with the aim of minimising its environmental footprint without compromising the quality of the workspace. The building’s design is intended to bring daylight deep into the building, with a fully glazed façade from floor to ceiling. The Unity Staircase, which references the Olympic Rings, is a central feature of the building, connecting the five floors through a central atrium. The building has been designed to meet the most demanding sustainability standards, with features including the use of upcycled concrete from previous administration buildings, rainwater harvesting, roof solar panels and a pumping station to collect water from the adjacent lake to cool and heat the building. The design aims for LEED® Platinum certification as well as Minergie P and LNBS certification.

Photo credit: Adam Mørk.