The Athletes’ Village is a temporary residential complex built specifically to house and accommodate athletes participating in major international sporting events. The Athletes’ Village is designed to meet the unique needs of the athletes, providing them with comfortable and convenient living conditions. It typically consists of a collection of buildings or housing units that can accommodate thousands of athletes from different countries. In addition to accommodation and dining, the Athletes’ Village often provides amenities and services such as fitness centers, training facilities, medical clinics, laundry services, transportation, and security. These facilities are aimed at supporting the athletes’ physical and mental well-being, allowing them to focus on their training and competition.
Athletes’ Village is a vital component of major international sporting events, providing a comfortable and supportive living environment for athletes while fostering a sense of unity and shared experiences among participants from around the world. The demand for an Athletes’ Village is primarily driven by the hosting of major international sporting events. In regard to the growing demand, PETITDIDIERPRIOUX Architectes plans an adaptable ‘athletes’ village’ for the Paris 2024 olympic games. Construction work kicked off at the beginning of 2021 and will be completed by Q4 2023.
A look back on site selection for Athletes’ Village
Three cities in Seine-Saint-Denis were in competition to host the 2024 Olympic Games Village: Le Bourget, Pantin and Saint-Denis. It is the site of Saint-Denis – Bords de Seine which has been selected by the Paris 2024 Olympic committee. The site selected for the installation of the Olympic Village will be located in the Saint-Denis Pleyel area which straddles three districts of the Seine-Saint-Denis department: Saint-Ouen, Saint-Denis and Île-Saint-Denis. This area is home to the Stade de France and the Cité du Cinéma. It is also a very important bus’iness hub district. This site which is being rehabilitated with projects for the construction of residential housing, stores and companies headquarters benefits from highly important transport structures (subway, 2 RER lines, the A1 and A86 highways) and is in the immediate proximity of Paris.
Olympic Village is being constructed at the Saint-Denis Pleyel area in Paris
All About Athletes’ Village
The Village stretches across three towns: Saint-Denis, Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine and L’Île-Saint-Denis. It will house 14,500 athletes and their staff during the Olympic Games then 9,000 athletes and their staff during the Paralympic Games..It includes three main areas: the Olympic Village Plazza, an international zone open onto the Seine river, a residential area around the Cité du Cinéma, and an operational area connected to the road networks. This exceptional 51-hectare site will help athletes perform. Aside from those training at their competition venues, 100% of the athletes will train within 20 minutes from the Village, and 60% of those will train within the Village itself. 85% of athletes will be accommodated less than 30 minutes away from their competition venue.
As many as 60,000 meals will be served per day and a medical centre will be open 24/7 for athletes. During the Paralympic Games, a free-of-charge orthotic, prosthetic and wheelchair repair centre will also be open.
Design inputs from Athletes
It was impossible for Paris 2024 to plan the Olympic and Paralympic Village without asking the people who will be using it – their athletes themselves – for their insight. Athletes from all continents therefore shared their vision of the ideal Village, pooling a wealth of experience and stories. A manifesto was prepared under the supervision of the Paris 2024 Athletes’ Commission, summing up their comments and requirements.
The structural design of the Athletes’ Village
PETITDIDIERPRIOUX’s Athlete’s Village comprises a series of sustainably constructed structures in an eco-district in the French capital. Introducing athletes’ residences, offices, medical spaces, and other facilities, the project is being designed with a focus on embodying a harmonious blend of diverse housing typologies to integrate with its surrounding landscape. Following the completion of the Olympics, the Village will transition into its ‘Legacy Phase’ and become repurposed for social housing. For this, each of the bio-based structures will primarily rely on wood, integrating a regular structural framework to enable adaptability and reliability.
The landscape of Athlete’s Village
The urban landscape of the Athletes’ Village
Sited within Macro Lot PB, the Athletes’ Village sits at a vital link between the smaller arm of the Seine River to the North and Lot PA to the south, creating a cohesive landscape composition. The team at PETITDIDIERPRIOUX has adhered to a set of common rules that apply throughout the area, ensuring a unified and consistent design language with the diversity of the urban landscape. The dominant mineral quality of the facades along the waterfront and the engulfing natural environment inform the architects’ use of wood, terracotta, steel, and whitewash for the Village, as their tones and textures combine to echo their natural and built context. Further, the widespread existing use of stilts fosters a connection with nature by enhancing transparency and offering scenic views of the surrounding hills.
Construction materials and Masterplan for Athlete’s Village
Plans for Athletes’ Village post-2024 Olympics
Besides the goal of providing optimal accommodation for athletes, when the Games are over the Village will become a part of the surrounding city, for people in Seine-Saint-Denis, and mirror the exemplary environmental standards that Paris 2024 intends to meet. In November 2024, once the Games are over, the operators will begin a reversibility phase. The circular economy’s principles will be applied through a strategy to reuse materials during deconstruction. They will hand over a new, eco-responsible, functional neighbourhood, which will blend into the city of the future, to the community in 2025. After the Games, the neighbourhood will feature:
- 52 hectares, eq. 70 football pitches
- Benefiting 6,000 residents
- More than 2,800 new housing units (2,000 family homes, 800 residence units)
- 1 student residence
- 1 hotel
- 2 new schools
- 6 hectares of green spaces incl. a public park in the centre of the neighbourhood
- Planted areas for pedestrians and non-motorised vehicles
- 120,000 sqm of offices, other business premises and services, for 6,000 employees
- 3,200 sqm of neighbourhood shops
Conclusion
The Athletes’ Village goes beyond its purpose of providing accommodation; it serves as a hub for fostering a strong sense of community and camaraderie among athletes from various nations and sports. Its primary goal is to create an environment where athletes can interact, socialize, and develop relationships with their fellow competitors, promoting cultural exchange and sportsmanship. Moreover, the construction of the Village is designed to meet the high standards for environmental excellence set by Paris 2024 and SOLIDEO. This initiative aims to construct a neighborhood that is future-ready for 2050, delivering a sustainable and eco-friendly living space within the city.
References: designboom.com, paris2024.org, olympics.com