"With the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics underway, it is worth looking back at how the Olympic Village has evolved from a purely functional solution into a strategic urban project."
"From improvised housing compounds to key pieces of urban regeneration, Olympic Villages have repeatedly functioned as large-scale experiments in how parts of the city can be built within a short period of time. Designed under intense time pressure and for a highly specific population, these environments reveal shifting ideas about housing, collective life, and the urban legacy of mega-events."
"Across different editions, the Olympic Village reflects broader ways in which events, housing, and cities intersect under conditions of urgency."
Olympic Villages began as improvised housing compounds for athletes and support staff, focused on immediate functionality and rapid delivery. Over time they transformed into strategic urban-regeneration projects integrated into wider city planning and legacy goals. Designed under intense time pressure and tailored to a highly specific population, the villages operate as large-scale experiments in rapid construction and temporary collective living. These projects reveal evolving ideas about housing design, communal life, and the reuse of event infrastructure. Across different editions, Olympic Villages illustrate how mega-events can accelerate urban change and expose tensions between short-term needs and long-term city planning under conditions of urgency.
Read at ArchDaily
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