Construction Update: 3XN's new International Olympic Committee Headquarters is taking shape

Back in 2014, the International Olympic Committee selected Danish 3XN Architects to design its new IOC Headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland. The winning entry beat out eleven other shortlisted proposals by international heavyweights like OMA, Toyo Ito, Diller Scofidio + Renfro, and Farshid Moussavi.

Situated on the banks of Lake Geneva, 3XN's new 'Olympic House' campus will provide work spaces for 600 employees and consolidate disparate offices throughout the city. 

The architects now released new renderings of the HQ as well recent construction photos that show how the building and its circular staircase, an architectural centerpiece which echoes the Olympic rings, is slowly growing towards the sky.

From the project description we've received from 3XN: 

"A transparent double glass façade is the hallmark of the design for Olympic House. Comprising a straight inner layer and a curving, faceted outer layer, the result is a dynamic form that evokes the movement of an Olympic athlete. By optimizing the ‘façade to floor plate’ ratio and creating a fully glazed façade from floor to ceiling, 3XN’s design draws daylight deep into the building. The inner layer features an integrated sunscreen, which enables the outer later to maintain its fully glazed and transparent appearance. As there is a highway close to the building’s north side, the double façade also provides noise reduction for the interiors. A cavity between the façade layers enables easy maintenance while allowing for the dynamic and elegant skin."

"The new IOC headquarters will be a one of the most energy efficient glass buildings and aims to achieve the highest sustainable development standards. Solar panels on the roof (and out of sight) will produce an amount of electricity equivalent to the consumption of 60 Swiss households. This electricity will allow the building to be self-sufficient in terms of its heating, ventilation, cooling and hot water systems."

"The aim for the design has been to minimize the environmental footprint while not compromising the quality of the working environment. Through the green roof, terraces and fitness center, the building and natural environment is rich with the opportunity for employees to participate in sport and leisure activities in order to energize themselves throughout the day. Sustainable features such as low-flow taps, toilets, and ‘rainwater harvesting significantly reduce the building’s use of water; while the solar panels located on the roof reduce the need for electricity from the grid."

"To achieve a sustainable development, IOC recycled all of the concrete used in its former administration buildings for use in the construction of the new Olympic House. To make this operation worthwhile from an energy point of view, the IOC decided to recycle as much as possible on site. The benefits are mainly a reduction in road traffic (less pollution for those living nearby, plus reduced energy and carbon footprint), natural resource savings and the space saved in rubbish dumps.

A concrete mixer and all the other machines needed to sort and crush the concrete were installed on the site. A number of tests were carried out by a specialist laboratory to find the mixture for the recycled concrete that would meet the mechanical needs of the civil engineer. Once the calculations had been made, it was agreed that the recycled concrete could be used in different amounts to create the watertight wall around the Olympic House site, and in the apron and outside walls of the underground part of the building."

Inauguration of Olympic House is scheduled for early 2019.