The Olympic Village, designed to accommodate over 10,000 athletes during the Paris Olympics, was initially planned without air conditioning.
However, it will now be equipped with portable air conditioners, as delegations have ordered nearly 2,500 units for the 7,000 rooms to be used, the village’s deputy director confirmed on Tuesday.
Air Conditioning at the Olympic Village
“There Won’t Be a Need”
“The objective was truly to respond to this extremely specific need for athletes who are competing in the match or competition of their lives (…) and who may have comfort and recovery requirements that are higher than during a standard summer. And therefore (…) we have had approximately 2,500 air conditioners ordered,” assured the village’s deputy director, Augustin Tran Van Chau, during a press visit.
Two years ago, Anne Hidalgo, the mayor of Paris and president of Solideo, the company responsible for the village’s construction, had ruled out the possibility of using portable air conditioners in the village. “There won’t be a need (…). I have a lot of respect for the comfort of athletes, but I think much more about the survival of humanity,” she asserted on France Info in February 2023.
Temperature Regulation and Geothermal Cooling
The Olympic Village buildings constructed by Solideo guarantee a temperature difference of -6 degrees Celsius compared to the outside temperature. To enhance this performance, organizers have incorporated a geothermal system that contributes to cooling the rooms, coupled with fans installed in each room.
Delegations Encouraged to Limit Air Conditioners, but No Guarantee
Despite these measures, some delegations expressed concerns about potential heatwaves, prompting the organizing committee to offer them the option of purchasing portable air conditioners through the catalog of options for equipping the village rooms.
Delegations also have the option to bring their own portable air conditioners: “We have provided them with guides on technical constraints, particularly regarding energy consumption and the A-level quality of their equipment, to ensure they have up-to-date equipment,” specified Augustin Tran Van Chau.
The deputy director stated that they have encouraged delegations to take “a maximum of one air conditioner per accommodation,” but there is no guarantee that this recommendation will be followed.