The Olympic House Façade: Engineering Movement in Glass

Olympic House: A Façade Inspired by Movement

Located on the shores of Lac Léman in Lausanne, Olympic House serves as the headquarters of the International Olympic Committee.

Designed by Danish architecture studio 3XN, the building embodies the core values of the Olympic movement through architecture: movement, transparency, flexibility, sustainability and collaboration.

Completed in 2019, the 22,000-square-meter headquarters brings together approximately 500 employees who previously worked across several locations in the city.

The consolidation was not simply an organizational exercise but an opportunity to rethink the spatial and environmental performance of the IOC’s workplace.

At the center of the design lies a building envelope that translates the physical dynamism of sport into architectural form.

A Façade that Evokes Motion

The most distinctive element of Olympic House is its undulating double-glass façade, which appears to change depending on the viewing angle.

This fluid geometry was conceived to evoke the movement of an athlete in motion, a symbolic reference to the Olympic Games themselves.

The façade consists of two layers:

• a straight inner glass façade, forming the primary building envelope
• a faceted outer glass layer, which creates the building’s sculptural identity

Together, the two skins produce a dynamic visual effect that animates the façade across the surrounding park landscape.

Beyond its expressive form, the façade also serves several functional roles.

By optimizing the relationship between the façade and the floor plate, the building allows daylight to penetrate deep into the interior spaces.

Floor-to-ceiling glazing ensures visual transparency and strengthens the connection between the workplace and the surrounding park.

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Performance Through Double-Skin Design

The double-skin façade is not only aesthetic but also technical.

The cavity between the two layers offers several performance advantages.

First, the inner layer integrates solar shading, allowing the outer layer to remain fully glazed and transparent.

This maintains the architectural clarity of the façade while controlling solar heat gain.

Second, the cavity improves acoustic insulation.

The building sits close to a highway on its northern side, and the double façade significantly reduces external noise within the interior workspaces.

Finally, the cavity enables maintenance access, allowing technicians to clean and service the façade without affecting the external appearance of the building.

Through this layered envelope strategy, Olympic House balances transparency, environmental performance and architectural expression.

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Architecture Shaped by Olympic Values

The architectural concept for Olympic House was directly informed by the values of the International Olympic Committee.

Transparency is expressed through the building’s glass façade and visual openness toward the park and the lake beyond.

Internally, the design eliminates unnecessary structural barriers, creating flexible workspaces that support collaboration and communication.

The building’s central feature, the Unity Staircase, reinforces this concept.

Rising through a multi-storey atrium, the sculptural staircase connects all floors and acts as the social heart of the headquarters. It encourages movement within the building while symbolizing the Olympic ideals of unity and fair play.

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One of the Most Sustainable Office Buildings in the World

Olympic House is also notable for its exceptional environmental performance.

The building has received three of the most rigorous sustainability certifications in the industry:

• LEED v4 Platinum – with a record score of 93 points
• SNBS Platinum – Swiss Sustainable Building Standard
• Minergie-P – Swiss high-performance energy standard

This combination makes Olympic House one of the most sustainable office buildings ever constructed.

The environmental strategy includes:

• rooftop solar panels generating renewable energy
• rainwater harvesting systems
• low-flow water fixtures
• a highly efficient building envelope
• extensive green roofs and terraces

Together these measures significantly reduce the building’s environmental footprint while providing a healthy workplace environment.

A Building in Dialogue with the Landscape

The headquarters sits within the IOC campus at Vidy, adjacent to the historic Château de Vidy and the public Louis-Bourget Park.

The design carefully respects this sensitive setting.

Rather than dominating the landscape, the building gently transitions from park to architecture.

Its curved geometry softens the visual impact, while the transparent façade allows views through the building toward the lake.

The campus itself remains open and accessible, reinforcing the values of openness and public engagement that the IOC seeks to promote.

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Architecture as a Reflection of Sport

Olympic House demonstrates how architecture can translate institutional values into physical form. Through its dynamic façade, open interior spaces and ambitious sustainability agenda, the building embodies the energy and ideals of the Olympic movement.

More than just a headquarters, it represents a carefully engineered environment where architecture, performance and symbolism converge — an envelope designed not only to house an institution, but to express the spirit of sport itself.

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