By Nick Butler at the Susesi Convention Center in Belek

The IOC are in the initial stages of plans to develop new IOC Headquarters ©Getty ImagesApril 10 - Danish architectural firm 3XA has been hired to develop new headquarters for the International Olympic Committee (IOC), it was announced here today.


They were chosen from a list of 12 firms considered for the role, including London-based architects Amanda Levete and Farshid Moussavi in addition to OMA, Toyo Ito and Diller Scofidio and Renfro.

Each of these 12 finalists reportedly received £21,000 ($35,000/€25,000) to develop proposals for the scheme, which will bring together all 450 IOC staff who are currently spread across five different sites.

The new headquarters, which will remain in Lausanne, are necessary due to logistical, financial and environmental problems with the current base on the banks of Lake Geneva in the south of the Swiss city.

Speaking following the conclusion of the IOC Executive Board Meeting here, IOC President Thomas Bach claimed there were problems relating to the widely spread nature of the current base and the financial costs associated with paying rent, as well as inefficient energy consumption. 

In 2012, the IOC was forced to temporarily close the headquarters and relocate staff after a burst water pipe caused extensive flooding, leading to damage to archives and the knocking out of communications. 

This all led to the consideration of an alternative headquarters being raised for the first time last year, with the appointment of 3XA as an exclusive partner marking the next stage of the project.

Bach claimed the Danish company, founded in 1986, has great experience in the field and has received awards for environmentally friendly architecture.

They have designed buildings across Europe including the Muziekgebouw Concert Hall in Amsterdam and the Danish Embassy in Berlin.

A final decision on whether the Olympic project will get the go ahead will rely on the outcome of discussions with Swiss authorities, and no potential location, estimated cost, nor images of the winning 3XN bid have yet been revealed.

Some buildings on the current IOC headquarters site, such as the 1986 Olympic House and a multi-function centre built in 2005, could be demolished to make way for the new campus, although the iconic Château de Vidy must remain after being officially recognised as a historical monument since 1971.

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