This Thursday, July 18, the Athletes' Village, inaugurated at the end of February this year, officially opens its doors to the athletes of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games (July 26-August 11). Built to accommodate thousands of people over the Olympic and Paralympic period (August 28-September 8), it involves some incredible numbers.
Since this Thursday, July 18, athletes from all over the world have been taking up residence at the Paris 2024 Olympic Village. With just over a week to go until the eagerly-awaited opening ceremony - which promises to be a grand affair on the Seine - the earliest delegations to move in will have a chance to accomodate themselves in Paris.
From the dozens of figures released about the Olympic and Paralympic Village, we selected 24 of them.
1
For the first time in the history of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, a nursery (also known as the Family Space) has been set up in the Athletes' Village. This is a comfortable and practical space for athletes who are parents, so they can be reunited with their children. The Family Space is equipped with a changing table, a breastfeeding area, a play area and a family time area.
3
The 54-hectare Olympic Village has been built in three communes of Seine-Saint-Denis: Saint-Denis, where most of the facilities and buildings are located, Saint-Ouen and L'Île Saint-Denis.
Picture by Aurélien Meunier/Getty Images
6
The number of takeaway outlets to complement the main restaurant and the one on L'Île Saint-Denis. The first is Grab&Go XXL, with a large 500 m² outdoor terrace. This space is designed to be convivial, with tables, chairs, low seats, a petanque area and entertainment. Grab&Go areas are also available along the main routes through the Village.
7
The number of sports you can train for in the Village: basketball, basketball 3x3, breaking, handball, fencing (also for pentathletes), weightlifting and wrestling. There are eight training sites, seven of which are located in the Cité du Cinéma studios alone.
8
Contrary to what you might think, there are not just double rooms in the Athletes' Village. Flats for up to eight people are available. Please note that rooms for 2 people have a minimum surface area of 12 m².
Picture by Aurélien Meunier/Getty Images
12
The Village has twelve laundries located on the ground floor of certain residences. Overall, 600 washing machines will be working to provide nearly 60,000 washes during the Games.
20
A beauty salon offering hairdressing, nail services and barbering is located on the Place du Village. It is run by French hairdresser Raphaël Perrier, with the help of a dozen employees, and offers a catalogue of twenty different hairstyles specially designed for athletes.
Picture by Aurélien Meunier/Getty Images
55
The number of buses available for athletes to reach their training and competition sites. In addition, the site is equipped with a fleet of 100% electric and 100% inclusive vehicles to facilitate travel within the Village itself.
80
This is the percentage of Olympic and Paralympic venues within 10 km of the Athletes' Village. This means that the majority of athletes live in less than 30 minutes from their competition venue.
100
The number of musculation machines available at the Fitness Centre. It's open 24 hours a day, has a total of 350 pieces of sports equipment and covers an area of more than 3,000 m².
200
Paris 2024 has installed no fewer than 200 drinks fountains (with Coca-Cola) in the Village to contribute to the goal of halving the use of single-use plastic in catering. In addition, the Olympic Village restaurant will be plastic bottle-free.
Picture by Paris 2024
400
On the Seine, EDF has installed a 400 m² solar power plant that is mobile, floating and demountable, producing 78 kWp of electricity to cover the consumption of 94 flats in the Village. EDF has also installed a temporary solar power plant on the roof of the Village bus station.
500
The number of recipes created by the Village's team of 200 chefs. The aim is to promote more responsible eating and showcase French expertise and gastronomy. Over 500 different recipes have been created to meet the needs of the athletes, using local and seasonal products. 80% of the products come from France, with producers located just a few dozen kilometres from the Village. For example, the potatoes come from a farm less than 30 km from the Village.
700
In the Athletes' Village, a 3,500 m² polyclinic has been set up by the organisation. With 700 people expected to visit the clinic every day, Paris 2024 has spared no expense: in addition to a pharmacy, there is a blood sampling room, an emergency department and areas for physiotherapy, chiropody, dermatology, gynaecology, cardiology and ophthalmology. Last but not least, a recovery area with 18 cold baths has been installed here, the result of a collaboration with Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP).
The Village polyclinic in photos
800
The number of square metres set aside for athletes' entertainment. This includes the Village Club, with its large sun terrace, the Disconnection Bubble (a place to relax and unwind with a barista and massage seats), the Play Zone (an arcade and table football area) and the Social Zone (a social area with giant screens to follow the events, a stage and a central bar).
1 500
The mini-market offers a range of 1,500 items, from food products to floral arrangements, which can be ordered and collected from the shop. Candles and cakes to celebrate medals and birthdays are also available.
2050
The Village is designed to adapt to the climatic conditions of 2050, with 6 hectares of green spaces, vegetation (streets, balconies, roofs), recovery and treatment of waste water for irrigation, cooling floors and triple glazing. Everything has been designed to improve thermal comfort and guarantee a temperature of at least 6°C below the outside temperature for athletes and future residents.
3 200
The number of seats available in the main restaurant which, with 40,000 covers served every day, is quite simply the largest in the world.
Picture by Paris 2024
3 500
On the Olympic and Paralympic Village site, up to 3,500 journeymen were mobilised simultaneously. A few other construction figures: it required 14 contractors, 41 architects and... 37 cranes.
6 000
From 2025, when it will no longer be home to the athletes, the Olympic and Paralympic Village will be transformed into 2,800 new homes (2,000 for families, 800 for students). All of which will have a total capacity of 6,000 inhabitants.
9 000
No fewer than 9,000 trees and shrubs have been planted in the Village. They are sponsored by children from schools in towns with the Terre de Jeux label as part of the ‘Adopt a Tree’ educational project.
14 500
This is the total number of athletes and staff who will be living in the Village during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. For the Paralympics, 9,000 people are expected.
Picture by Aurélien Meunier/Getty Images
16 000
To equip the beds in the Village, 16,000 mattresses will be made available. After the competitions, they will not be thrown away, but donated to a number of beneficiaries, including the French Army, Emmaüs, the Opéra de Paris dance school and the Tsuji hotel school. At the Village's adjustment centre, athletes can change the firmness of their mattresses! A total of four different foam densities are available. It should be noted that the beds measure 2 m x 90 cm by default, with the option of extending their length by up to 30 cm, and that their bed bases are made of cardboard.
345 000
That's the total number of pieces of furniture needed to decorate the Village's 2,800 flats. Some of the furniture is reused or recycled: there are pouffes made from parachute fabric, tables made from 90% badminton shuttleco*cks, chairs and sofas made from Vauban fencing and cardboard seats. At the end of the Games, all this furniture will find a second life: reuse, donation to associations or recycling for damaged items.