International Olympic Committee, Headquarters of an international sports body in Lausanne, Switzerland
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is headquartered in the Maison Olympique in Lausanne, Switzerland. The building has two joined sections: a sloping wall of white panels on the left and a taller glass volume on the right, with a curved facade of glass windows and white fins behind a row of greenery, and five large interlocking rings in front.
The IOC was founded in Paris in 1894 by Pierre de Coubertin and moved its headquarters to Lausanne in 1915. It was first housed at the Montbenon casino, then at the Villa Mon-Repos, before moving to Vidy in 1968; the current Maison Olympique was inaugurated in 2019.
The five interlocking rings in front of the building are the Olympic symbol, representing the union of the five continents. The central staircase inside is designed to recall these rings, and the shape of the building is inspired by the movement of athletes in effort.
The Maison Olympique sits in Vidy, by the lake, a short trip from the city center. The building is not open to the public, but you can see the exterior and the rings from the street; the nearby Olympic Museum in Ouchy is the place to go for exhibits.
The building is one of the most sustainable in the world, with solar panels on the roof shaped like a dove landing in the park. It was the first to receive three of the strictest certifications for sustainable construction.
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