Paris 2024 comes close to the limit of what is possible in terms of minimising construction for Olympic Games hosted in a single city, explains Populous' François Clément in this Olympic Impact interview.
Clément, who has been involved with the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games since he assisted the city's bid in 2016, explained that Paris had prioritised using existing venues over new and temporary venues.
"From day one, one of the major concerns of the bid was to reduce to the minimum the use of temporary facilities and increase to the maximum the use of existing facilities," he told Dezeen.
"Big moves bring you the goods"
Notable reuse examples include the renovation of the Grand Palais by Chatillon Architectes, which will play host to the fencing and taekwondo tournaments. The Paris La Défense Arena ? usually used for rugby ? will temporarily house an Olympic swimming pool, and Celnikier Grabli Architectes and OLGGA Architectes have refurbished the historic Yves-du-Manoir Stadium, which was the focus of the games last time they were held in Paris 100 years ago.
According to Clément, this focus on existing buildings is how Paris 2024 has most successfully reduced its carbon footprint.
"The big moves are the ones that bring you the goods," he said. "The work that the committee has done right at the beginning to identify all the venues that could be used was the most important one."
The La Défense Arena rugby stadium has ...