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The first athletes have arrived at the Paris 2024 Olympic Village. Located in the north of the city, the village officially opened its doors on the morning of Thursday, July 18, following the mayor of the French capital, Anne Hidalgo, taking a dip in the Seine. The Thai, Australian, and Colombian teams are among the first nations to move in.
Meanwhile, the countdown to the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad is rapidly winding down, and interest in the event is growing daily. After a three-year wait (normally four, but the last Games were postponed because of Covid), the sporting spectacle of the 2024 Paris Olympics is about to begin.
At a time plagued by wars and the serious international tensions they provoke, the hope is that sport, which has always been a vehicle of peace and brotherhood, can send out a message of friendship and openness between peoples. The Olympics are an event of both global and historic significance that brings together the best athletes from all over the world.
The XXXIII edition of the modern Games, created by Baron Pierre De Coubertin, will officially begin in Paris on July 26 with the Opening Ceremony. But it will be unlike any previous ceremony, with the French organizers staging the event – including the lighting of the Olympic cauldron – on the River Seine and not in a stadium. In front of an audience of thousands, the athletes will take part in a parade of boats along the river past some of the most beautiful architecture in the French capital.
>>> Find out more about the Paris 2024 Opening Ceremony
The Olympic Village of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games is in the heart of Ville Lumière, between Saint-Denis, Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine, and Île Saint-Denis. Occupying a site of over 52 hectares, the village will host almost 14,500 people, including 9000 athletes, at the height of the Games. Built over seven years, it comprises 82 buildings, 3000 apartments, and 7200 rooms.
For many athletes, a good part of the excitement of participating in the Games involves the non-sports-related pleasure of socializing daily with other competitors from around the world in the Olympic Village. And the Paris village includes over 300 thousand m2 of pedestrian areas, green spaces, and buildings of different sizes.
The objectives of SOLIDEO (Olympic Games Delivery Authority) were to create a sustainable city, stimulate the local economy, and promote the growth of innovation and technology.
Large sections of the village, therefore, consist of repurposed buildings, such as the Citè du Cinéma, which was previously a film studio but has been transformed into a 24-hour restaurant. Then, once the Games are over, the athletes’ accommodation will become residential units. The organizers were committed to avoiding waste by avoiding unnecessary construction and only carrying out work that will improve the lives of Parisians.
So, once its function as an Olympic village is over, the village will become a Parisian neighborhood. By 2025, the apartments will be converted into homes and offices that will accommodate 6000 residents and the same number of workers. Saint-Denis, Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine, and Île Saint-Denis will therefore provide homes, gyms, green spaces, shops, and services for the local community.
>>> Discover Casa Italia, located in the heart of Bois de Boulogne
The construction of the village was in full compliance with environmental protection regulations, with the use of eco-sustainable materials a major component. Maximum effort also went into reducing the carbon footprint and respecting the environment by using natural materials where possible. All the buildings are less than 20 meters high, while timber is used extensively for façades, structural work, and floors. The interiors of the apartments are understated but welcoming, while each has a small balcony with a breathtaking view of the city.
The beds are cardboard and will be recycled at the end of the Games, while the mattresses were made using recycled fishing nets, which will also be reused. And each bed will have a duvet made specifically for the Olympics, which athletes can take home as a souvenir.
The village runs entirely on renewable energy sources, while all food will be sourced from sustainable, certified sources. Photovoltaic panels on the roofs will contribute to meeting electricity needs. Finally, every aspect of the design took into account climate forecasts for 2050, with the architects making extensive use of strategies to help mitigate climate change, such as plants and water in public areas.
>>> Mathieu Lehanneur’s design of the Paris 2024 Olympic torch
Since the village will host both Olympic and Paralympic athletes, mobility and accessibility were a key focus of the design process. A shuttle system has been set up to compensate for the elevated areas in the site. Between the riverbank and the transport area, for example, there’s a difference in elevation of some 50 meters. It was therefore important to ensure that people with reduced mobility could easily move from one part of the village to another. Integrated stair and ramp systems around the site also address this issue.
With everything now in place to welcome the stars of the Games, the Olympic Village is already filling with the talented athletes who’ll keep fans on the edge of their seats from July 26 through August 11.
>>> A look at CoBe and Chaix & Morel, two of the studios that worked on the Olympic Village
Photography by Drone Press/Sennse, courtesy of Paris 2024 Organising Committee
