The first Olympic village was built for the 1924 Summer Games in Paris. Before this, athletes stayed in hotels, hostels, schools, headquarters, and even on the ships that brought them to the host cities. Pierre de Coubertin, co-founder of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), proposed the idea of an Olympic village. He realized it would be more cost-effective to house athletes in temporary structures rather than hotels. He believed the village would also create a sense of community among the international competitors.
The idea of building permanent structures that could be used for other purposes after the Olympics first appeared in the 1952 Helsinki Games. Since then, many host cities have adopted this approach. Olympic Villages now reflect the political, social, and architectural values of their hosts and increasingly address global issues like sustainability, urban regeneration, and legacy. Legacy refers to the long-term benefits that host city residents enjoy after the Games. New constructions are often seen as a way to revitalize underdeveloped areas by providing social housing, creating jobs, and improving infrastructure and transportation. These projects are designed to fulfill multiple purposes during and after the Games, using various strategies to achieve this.
A hundred years after the first Olympic Village, Paris introduced new accommodations designed for future use. The master plan by Dominique Perrault aims to transform the Athletes' Village into a model district by 2025 and a sustainable neighborhood by 2050. While it currently serves as housing for athletes during the Games, it is designed to become a long-term urban development that is accessible to everyone and well-connected to the larger metropolitan area, driving significant urban change. The design strategies vary: some areas use modular cells that can be quickly and cost-effectively converted into residential spaces, like the Ilot Quinconces Athletes' Village, while others, such as DREAM's Olympic Village, feature modular structures with easily replaceable non-structural elements. This village also includes a central garden that provides natural light to the parking areas, which have high ceilings ideal for future conversion.
In this context, explore the following 10 Olympic Village projects and their adaptation strategies, ranging from the latest designs for Paris 2024 to examples from past sporting events worldwide.
Athletes Village / DREAM
The Athlete's Village - Îlot Quinconces Plot 1 Sector D1 / Brenac & Gonzalez & Associés
Olympic Village Housing / chaixetmorel.
Villa Panamericana Santiago 2023 / Mobil Arquitectos + Francisco Izquierdo
The Athlete's Village - Îlot Quinconces Plot 8 Sector D1 / Brenac & Gonzalez & Associés
Athletes Village Lot E2B / CoBe Architecture & Paysage
Housing for the Olympic Village, buildings UG4-P2 and UG4-P3 / Martín Szydlowski + Edgardo Barone + Mariana Baulán
Hangzhou Asian Games Technical Officials Village / goa
The Athlete's Village - Îlot Quinconces Plot 5 Sector D1 / Brenac & Gonzalez & Associés
Housing for the Olympic Village Buenos Aires 2018 / Alonso&Crippa + Ariel Jinchuk + Lucas Grande + Pedro Yañez
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