Paris is seizing the opportunity to make this year's Olympics both memorable and sustainable. New smart urban designs and innovative architecture have emerged in the run-up to the games, with ambitious projects like Dominique Perrault's herculean Athletes' Village, spanning nearly 130,000 square feet.
The architect worked together with the consortium to create a mixed-use urban district, imbued with Paris' historical charm and the nature of the Olympic Games, to act as inspiration for future eco-friendly developments in the city.
With this metropolitan urban space providing athletes from all over the world with a grand experience of Paris, the Games' relationship with the host city's identity and culture can continue. Simultaneously, the project serves to remind spectators, athletes, sponsors, and organizers alike of the growing importance and impact of sustainable practices in our lives.
Urban development
This project exemplifies a longstanding commitment to strategic thinking and adaptive reuse. Designers, local governing bodies and public stakeholders envisioned the Athletes’ Village as a hub, reconnecting the neglected Seine region with its neighboring communities. The site itself comprises previously desecrated industrial land, spanning 40 hectares across Ile Saint-Denis, Saint-Denis, and Saint-Quen, conveniently located between crucial Games facilities and transport hubs.
The Athletes’ Village isn't just a temporary solution for the Olympic and Paralympic Games; Perrault and his team have conceived a mixed-use district that capitalizes on its surroundings’ natural beauty that will evolve to meet the city’s future needs. As such, the village embraces the ephemeral nature of the competition while adding another lasting legacy to the timeless city of Paris.
From a design perspective, key elements stand out...
Topography
There are stepped terraces and sloping pathways towards the Seine, along with panoramic views of the Grand Paris skyline.
Perpendicular pathways between the river and the Seine create a sustainable ‘city garden’ along the riverside.
Industrial history
The structures were inspired by 19th and 20th-century industrial architecture. There are six distinct ‘boat-like’ urban blocks, each with a unique identity. Block heights ranging from four to 15 levels with rooftop gardens
Smart renovations
The archaic Cité du Cinéma Complex and a former thermal power station were transformed and integrated into the project. Underground parking garages were refurbished and repurposed.
Sustainability features
The construction of the Athletes’ Village was given an explicit carbon emissions budget to stick to in line with the IOC’s Olympic Agenda.
Underground electricity lines and redevelopments in the Canal Saint-Denis - bordering the Athletes’ Village - are expected to improve the quality of life at a comparatively marginal energy and resource cost. The Olympic Games are also inspiring greater efforts to clean the River Seine, with more investments allocated for fixing pollution so that all Paris residents can enjoy the river from 2025 onwards.
The space will act as a central hub to speed up the use of public transport between sites and the surrounding regions of the city. Over 80% of Olympic venues are placed within 10km of the Athletes’ Village, minimizing travel time for athletes and spectators. What’s more, all venues are accessible by Paris’ efficient public transport network, which will be expanded by 15% during the Games compared to standard summer traffic.
Looking further ahead, this architectural masterpiece will be firmly intertwined with Parisians for years to come. This village will be transformed after the Olympics into a new residential and business district, offering workplaces for 6,000 and apartments for a further 6,000 residents. 25% of these residences will be reserved for public housing, catering to 40% of current Saint-Denis residents who rely on it. A further 33% of the available spaces will be rented out as affordable social housing, accessible to low-income workers and students.
A century of progress
It's been 100 years since Paris last hosted the Summer Olympics. In that time, global awareness of both eco-friendly design and environmental sustainability has skyrocketed, particularly in recent years as global shifts towards net zero have become increasingly imminent.
The 2024 Paris Olympic Games serve as not just a celebration of the centennial competition, but a showcase for innovative green design, construction, and building practices.
The Paris Olympics aims to be the first international sporting event to be carbon neutral, reducing its carbon footprint by 55% compared to London 2022, in line with the principles of the Paris Agreement.
As we look ahead, the lessons learned and solutions developed for Paris 2024 will undoubtedly influence the way we approach new, large-scale urban architectural projects. Paris is evidently laying the groundwork for more sustainable events for cities around the world, and architects can take inspiration from the strategies used here.
Paris Olympics 2024: a Closer Look at the Athletes' Village
Paris is seizing the opportunity to make this year's Olympics both memorable and sustainable. New smart urban designs and innovative architecture have emerged in the run-up to the games, with ambitious projects like Dominique Perrault's herculean Athletes' Village, spanning nearly 130,000 square feet.
The architect worked together with the consortium to create a mixed-use urban district, imbued with Paris' historical charm and the nature of the Olympic Games, to act as inspiration for future eco-friendly developments in the city.
With this metropolitan urban space providing athletes from all over the world with a grand experience of Paris, the Games' relationship with the host city's identity and culture can continue. Simultaneously, the project serves to remind spectators, athletes, sponsors, and organizers alike of the growing importance and impact of sustainable practices in our lives.
Urban development
This project exemplifies a longstanding commitment to strategic thinking and adaptive reuse. Designers, local governing bodies and public stakeholders envisioned the Athletes’ Village as a hub, reconnecting the neglected Seine region with its neighboring communities. The site itself comprises previously desecrated industrial land, spanning 40 hectares across Ile Saint-Denis, Saint-Denis, and Saint-Quen, conveniently located between crucial Games facilities and transport hubs.
The Athletes’ Village isn't just a temporary solution for the Olympic and Paralympic Games; Perrault and his team have conceived a mixed-use district that capitalizes on its surroundings’ natural beauty that will evolve to meet the city’s future needs. As such, the village embraces the ephemeral nature of the competition while adding another lasting legacy to the timeless city of Paris.
From a design perspective, key elements stand out...
Topography
There are stepped terraces and sloping pathways towards the Seine, along with panoramic views of the Grand Paris skyline.
Perpendicular pathways between the river and the Seine create a sustainable ‘city garden’ along the riverside.
Industrial history
The structures were inspired by 19th and 20th-century industrial architecture. There are six distinct ‘boat-like’ urban blocks, each with a unique identity. Block heights ranging from four to 15 levels with rooftop gardens
Smart renovations
The archaic Cité du Cinéma Complex and a former thermal power station were transformed and integrated into the project. Underground parking garages were refurbished and repurposed.
Sustainability features
The construction of the Athletes’ Village was given an explicit carbon emissions budget to stick to in line with the IOC’s Olympic Agenda.
Underground electricity lines and redevelopments in the Canal Saint-Denis - bordering the Athletes’ Village - are expected to improve the quality of life at a comparatively marginal energy and resource cost. The Olympic Games are also inspiring greater efforts to clean the River Seine, with more investments allocated for fixing pollution so that all Paris residents can enjoy the river from 2025 onwards.
The space will act as a central hub to speed up the use of public transport between sites and the surrounding regions of the city. Over 80% of Olympic venues are placed within 10km of the Athletes’ Village, minimizing travel time for athletes and spectators. What’s more, all venues are accessible by Paris’ efficient public transport network, which will be expanded by 15% during the Games compared to standard summer traffic.
Looking further ahead, this architectural masterpiece will be firmly intertwined with Parisians for years to come. This village will be transformed after the Olympics into a new residential and business district, offering workplaces for 6,000 and apartments for a further 6,000 residents. 25% of these residences will be reserved for public housing, catering to 40% of current Saint-Denis residents who rely on it. A further 33% of the available spaces will be rented out as affordable social housing, accessible to low-income workers and students.
A century of progress
It's been 100 years since Paris last hosted the Summer Olympics. In that time, global awareness of both eco-friendly design and environmental sustainability has skyrocketed, particularly in recent years as global shifts towards net zero have become increasingly imminent.
The 2024 Paris Olympic Games serve as not just a celebration of the centennial competition, but a showcase for innovative green design, construction, and building practices.
The Paris Olympics aims to be the first international sporting event to be carbon neutral, reducing its carbon footprint by 55% compared to London 2022, in line with the principles of the Paris Agreement.
As we look ahead, the lessons learned and solutions developed for Paris 2024 will undoubtedly influence the way we approach new, large-scale urban architectural projects. Paris is evidently laying the groundwork for more sustainable events for cities around the world, and architects can take inspiration from the strategies used here.
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