Press release provided by COIMA SGR and its partners Covivio and Prada Holding
Olympic Village – Site plan – Courtesy of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
COIMA UNVEILS 2026 WINTER OLYMPIC VILLAGE PLANS AND UPDATED PARCO ROMANA MASTERPLAN
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill appointed as architects to create innovative zero-impact Olympic Village
Milan, 16 July 2021 – COIMA SGR and its partners Covivio and Prada Holding, have unveiled plans for the 2026 Winter Olympic Village and an updated masterplan for the Porta Romana railway yard in Milan.
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, the renowned architectural practice behind projects including the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, has been appointed to design the athletes’ village, following an architecture competition involving 27 groups made up of 71 studios of nine different nationalities.
The zero-impact Olympic Village, in the southwest quadrant of the existing Porta Romana railway yard, will be created in line with NZEB (Nearly Zero Energy Building) requirements. Designed with both its use as the athletes’ village for the 2026 Winter Olympics and its eventual, long-term use as student accommodation in mind, the project will minimise conversion works and environmental impact. All the buildings will be LEED certified, more than 30% of the energy will be produced through solar thermal and photovoltaic systems, and rainwater will be collected and reused, leading to a 50% reduction in the use of drinking water and a CO2 reduction of 40% for heating and cooling.
With the goal of converting from an Olympic function to a student residence function in just four months, the area will become a vibrant ecosystem of student housing, residences, co-working, community amenities and public spaces, all managed through a digital platform. The athletes’ homes will be reused for student accommodation (around 1,000 beds); the park and railway side buildings near the Olympic Square will be used for affordable housing; and the Olympic Village Plaza will become a neighbourhood square, with shops, bars, restaurants and cafes planned at street level; this will also be where farmers’ markets and events can take place. Greenhouses and vegetable gardens are also planned, enabling zero-kilometre products.
Developed by COIMA SGR, Covivio and Prada Holding in collaboration with the Milano-Cortina Foundation, the Municipality of Milan and the Lombardy Region, the Olympic Village will cover a total of around 60,000 sq m. It is scheduled for completion in July 2025.
Manfredi Catella, COIMA Founder & CEO said: “The 2026 Olympic Village will represent a new urban laboratory for Milan, the first to be designed and built in its future configuration with spaces, functions and materials already designed for their conversion, meeting NZEB principles. The integrated district will be managed through an evolutionary digital platform similar to that being tested in the Biblioteca degli Alberi Milano (BAM) in Porta Nuova. The project represents our commitment to ESG through COIMA ESG City Impact, the first Italian closed-end investment fund with measurable objectives for the country’s sustainable regeneration, which will retain the Olympic district in its portfolio following its conversion into a student residence.”
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill Design Partner, Colin Koop, said: “Rather than ceasing to be of use after the Olympics, the Porta Romana Olympic Village will ultimately become a vibrant, self-sustaining neighbourhood built around the principles of social equity, environmental commitment, wellness, and inclusivity. The village adopts the rhythm of the area’s streetscape, creating a porous urban block with a variety of public spaces and communal anchors that will enhance Milan’s vibrant tapestry of ground floor experiences.”
The Olympic Village forms part of the broader Parco Romana project, designed by a team led by Outcomist, Diller Scofidio + Renfro, PLP Architecture, Carlo Ratti Associati and Arup. An updated masterplan has been unveiled following a public consultation that took place between 31 March and 14 April 2021, which saw 2,700 people view the project presentation, 1,695 complete questionnaires and 1,685 provide comments.
The updated masterplan reinforces elements of the public space, such as the Central Park, eco-zones (green corridors that will be able to include public areas such as sports pitches, children’s play areas, or urban gardens), and a suspended forest to connect the eastern and western sides of the site, for which the technical and economic feasibility assessment is underway. The volumes of the masterplan have now been distributed more evenly, improving the dialogue with the surrounding areas and providing more activation at ground-floor level.
The Parco Romana project aims to be a blueprint for sustainability in urban redevelopment. All buildings will be LEED certified and the masterplan will be LEED for Community and WELL for Community certified; CO2 emissions in the operational phase will be aligned with the 2050 objectives of the European Community; construction emissions will be contained to less than 750kg CO2 per sq m; heating and cooling will be provided through geothermal energy with no fossil fuels used; sustainable transport will be integrated; green spaces will be provided that promote health and sport; and new public spaces will be created offering cultural and educational programmes for young people and adults.
Olympic Village
During the Olympic Games
Olympic Village – Aerial – Courtesy of Skidmore, Owings & MerrillOlympic Village – Courtesy of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
Legacy
Olympic Village legacy – Aerial – Courtesy of Skidmore, Owings & MerrillOlympic Village legacy – Central Plaza – Courtesy of Skidmore, Owings & MerrillOlympic Village legacy – Courtyard – Courtesy of Skidmore, Owings & MerrillOlympic Village legacy – East Entry – Courtesy of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
Parco Romana
The Parco Romana design team is led by OUTCOMIST, Diller Scofidio + Renfro, PLP Architecture, CRA – Carlo Ratti Associati and Arup.
Parco Romana – Parco Romana Masterplan Aerial – Courtesy of the Design TeamParco Romana – Park – Courtesy of the Design TeamParco Romana – Eco Zone with Green Garden – Courtesy of the Design TeamParco Romana – Piazza Lodi, programmed with an outdoor foodhall – Courtesy of the Design Team
Full Design Team
Team Principals: OUTCOMIST, Diller Scofidio + Renfro, PLP Architecture, CRA – Carlo Ratti Associati, Arup
Landscape: Gross. Max. and Nigel Dunnett Studio
Brand Experience: Portland
Mobility: Systematics
Olympic Advisory: Studio Zoppini, AECOM
Technical Advisory: LAND, Artelia
Zones: Residential Zone, Operational Zone, Village Plaza
Number of buildings: 21 (with 14 to 18 floors)
Number of units: Approximately 3,800
Number of beds: 18,000 beds (Olympic Village), 8,000 beds (Paralympic Village)
Room size: Single room 9m2 or more, twin room 12m2 or more
Facilities: Main dininghall, Multi-Function Complex (medical care, antidoping program, casual dining, recreation and fitness), NOC/NPC Services Centre, Transport Mall, Harumi Port Park, Village Plaza, Internal Shuttle Bus
Schedule: Olympic Games: July 13, 2021 – August 11, 2021. Paralympic Games: August 17, 2021 – September 8, 2021.
Post-Games use: New residential area
Satellite Villages: Olympic Sailing Village (Enoshima Yacht Harbor). Olympic Cycling Village (Izu Velodrome, Izu Mountain Bike Course).
Location
This post will be regularly updated in the run-up to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. View an overview of all venues here.
Tokyo 2020 Unveils Innovative Bedding for Olympic and Paralympic Villages
Bedding specifically designed to improve sleep will be provided for athletes
Image: The Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games
Tokyo, 24 September 2019 – The Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (Tokyo 2020) today unveiled the special bedding furniture and materials that will be provided at the Olympic and Paralympic Villages during the Tokyo 2020 Games, including beds made from high resistance lightweight cardboard and mattresses specifically designed to improve sleeping quality and comfort. 18,000 beds for the Olympic Village and 8,000 beds for the Paralympic Village will be provided by airweave inc., an official Tokyo 2020 partner company.
The design of the mattress leverages the latest innovations in bed surface technology. It comprises three distinct sections supporting the upper, middle and lower body, and the hardness of each section can be customised to suit each athlete’s body shape. The pillows have an indentation in the centre, providing good support for the neck and head regardless of whether athletes are sleeping on their backs or on their sides.
All of the bed frames will be made from high resistance cardboard, which will be able to support weights of up to 200kg. They will be recycled into paper products after the Games, with the mattress components being recycled into new plastic products. This will be the first time in Olympic and Paralympic history that all Villages’ beds and bedding are made almost entirely from renewable materials.
Tokyo 2020 has established as its guiding sustainability principle “Be better, together – For the planet and the people” and aims to minimise resource waste and ecosystem depletion in its use of materials. It has set a target of 99% of items and goods procured for the Games being reused or recycled afterwards. This project represents another positive demonstration of ways in which a more sustainable society can be realised using resources more efficiently.
Bed frame details
Size
W90cm × L210cm × H40cm
(20cm extensions will be available for taller athletes)
Composition
100% cardboard
Features
Highly durable and impact resistant
Waterproof
Tested for flammability
Light weight
Sustainability
All beds will be converted into recycled paper after the Games
Mattress
Size
W90cm × L200cm (approx.) × H10cm
Inner material
100% polyethylene
New material “airfiber”
Cover and mattress pad
material
100% polyester
Features
Hardness can be customised to suit each athletes’ body shape with tri-section structure: (shoulders / lower back / legs)
Shoulders: soft / moderate Lower Back: hard / moderate
Legs: super hard / moderate
Sustainability
Mattress components will be recycled into new plastic products
Duvet details
Size
W150cm × L210cm
Inner Material
70% polyester fibre and 30% rayon fibre (athletes with allergies can safely use as it contains no feathers)
Cover Material
Front: 100% polyester fibre
Back: 80% polyester fibre and 20% rayon fibre
Features
Antimicrobial and deodorant finishing
Excellent humidity control
Design
Different designs for the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games
Sustainability
Athletes can take home with them after the Games
Pillow details
Size
W63cm × L43cm
Inner cotton material
100% polyester fibre
Cover material
85% polyester fibre and 15% cotton
Source: The Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games
#Paris2024 c'est 95% d'infrastructures existantes ou temporaires et des investissements publics de @SOLIDEO_JOP au service des populations. La construction du Village Olympique et Paralympique offrira à la @seinesaintdenis un nouveau quartier durable, social et ouvert. #Mipim2019pic.twitter.com/5JpaqXaxY3
The Seoul Olympic Village Park is located next to the Olympic Park.
Capacity 15,000 People Buildings 86 Units 3,962 Opened September 1 to October 5, 1988 Facilities Athletes Hall, Swimming Pool, Administration Centre Design Wang Il-in and Woo Kyu-sung Legacy use Residential area
Maps
Source: Brochure real estate agent, February 2018 Source: Brochure real estate agent, February 2018
Source: Seoul Olympic Games Official Report Volume One (Page 532-533)
PyeongChang 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Villages complete ahead of the Games
PyeongChang, December 15 – The villages for the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Games are complete. A special ceremony took place today at the PyeongChang Village to recognize the completion of construction at both athletes’ villages, which will welcome their first guests on February 1.
The PyeongChang Village will be used to house up to 3,894 athletes and team officials during the Olympic Winter Games, and will then be used as the PyeongChang Paralympic Village where it will house up to 2,268 personnel. The second village in Gangneung will be used to accommodate more than 2,900 for the Olympic Winter Games only.
POCOG President LEE Hee-beom said, “The PyeongChang 2018 Villages are complete after years of hard work and we are pleased that they will serve as a legacy for the Games.
“The villages will serve as a place where athletes and officials can relax and connect with athletes from other nations, creating memories and friendships that will last a lifetime.”
The ribbon cutting ceremony was attended by the President of the PyeongChang 2018 Organizing Committee (POCOG), LEE Hee-beom, along with the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, DO Jong-whan, National Assembly Member YEOM Dong-yeol, Gangwon Province Vice Govenor SONG Suk-doo, Gangwon Provincial Assembly Chairman KIM Dong-il, President of the Korean Sport and Olympic Committee, LEE Kee-heung, President of the Korea Paralympic Committee, LEE Myung-ho, PyeongChang County Mayor SIM Jae-gook, some other representatives of provincial government agencies and a selection of local residents.
The PyeongChang Village consists of 600 units across eight 15-storey buildings and was constructed by Yongpyong Resort with 180 billion won of private investment. The Gangneung Village has 922 units across nine 25-storey buildings and was constructed by Korea Land and Housing Corporation at a cost of 214.6 billion won.
Both villages have been designed to provide a home from home for the participating athletes and officials, and have been built in locations that allow for short travel times to the respective competition venues near each village.
Onsite, residents will find a host of facilities that they’ve come to expect and enjoy at all Summer and Winter Games including a bank, post office, general store, laundry service, fitness centre, recreational centre, a beauty salon and a multi-faith centre. The villages also have a large dining facility that will cater a wide range of cuisines and dietary requirements and serve up meals 24 hours a day during the competition period.
Each athlete delegation will be part of an official welcome ceremony when they enter the village at the central square. This will be the site for various cultural events and performances during the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games including K-pop concerts, traditional Korean musical performances and special mask dances on Lunar New Year’s Day. The cultural programme within the villages has been designed to meet the cultural vision of the Games and give all delegations the chance to experience more than just their competition venue and sport during their time in PyeongChang.
Both villages were offered for sale to the general public and were completely sold out in May, 2017 and November, 2017 in PyeongChang and Gangneung respectively. They will leave a legacy from the Games for generations to come.
All that remains to be done is the final overlay and completion of the temporary tents that will be used as village operational facilities. The construction on both villages began back in mid-2015 and was completed on time.
