The Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland will re-open to the public in 10 weeks.
Originally supposed to open at the end of October, mid December is now the target. The reopening will include a ceremony marking the handover of keys to the IOC headquarters from Jacques Rogge to new IOC President Thomas Bach.
The 20-year-old museum closed its doors in 2012 for behind-the-scenes improvements, changes to exhibit space, and a new restaurant. Architects and civil engineers replaced the roof on the second floor with ultra-high-performance concrete. The outside of the museum even received a makeover with the addition of new pathways and features.
"I must say this was really quite a smooth works, or chantier," Olympic Museum Director Francis Gabet tells Around the Rings. "It went quite smooth; it was not so easy because we had so many contractors."
"They won’t recognize it," Gabet says about the refurbished interior. "They won’t recognize some pieces. They will recognize the ramp, the donor’s wall; big things like that but otherwise everything will be different."
Gabet was appointed director in 2003 after serving as marketing director for French sports newspaper L’Equipe.
Gabet says changes to the museum include space for touring school groups, re-sizing the auditorium and restaurant, and covering the terrace on the top floor with its striking view of Lake Geneva and the French Alps.
"That allowed us to really, absolutely redesign this floor," Gabet says. "That means that all this space will be available for activities if you want 365 days a year." The million-dollar view is now available rain or shine he says.
The museum will also house new permanent exhibitions. Architects expanded space dedicated to these exhibitions from 2,000 to 3,000 square meters.
"This allows us to introduce new topics," Gabet explains.
The Belle-Epoque ship Helvétie has filled in as a temporary Olympic Museum.
"Last year," Gabet tells ATR, "From April to October, we had 165,000 visitors. We already are over this year which, for a non-Olympic year, is very good."
The ship will close at the end of October, but an informational kiosk will remain until the public re-opening of the museum.
Gabet and his staff "anxiously" await the museum reopening.
"The first exhibition will be the permanent exhibition," Gabet says. "And after that we will have a full program for Sochi of course." The Sochi program will feature cultural elements, venue photographs, and the symbolism behind the logo, torch and medal designs.
"With good spirit," Gabet responds when asked how his staff completed the museum’s renovations. "Of course some questions and challenges, but who can imagine no questions or challenges on that kind of scale?"
Written byNicole Bennett.
For general comments or questions,click here.
20 Years at #1: Your best source of news about the Olympics isAroundTheRings.com, for subscribers only.
Recent Articles
Sinner-Alcaraz, the duel that came to succeed the three phenomenons
Beyond the final result, Roland Garros left the feeling that the Italian and the Spaniard will shape the great duel that came to help us through the duel for the end of the Federer-Nadal-Djokovic era.
Table tennis: Brazil’s Bruna Costa Alexandre will be Olympic and Paralympic in Paris 2024
She is the third in her sport and the seventh athlete to achieve it in the same edition; in Santiago 2023 she was the first athlete with disabilities to compete at the Pan American level and won a medal.
Rugby 7s: the best player of 2023 would only play the medal match in Paris
Argentinian Rodrigo Isgró received a five-game suspension for an indiscipline in the circuit’s decisive clash that would exclude him until the final or the bronze match; the Federation will seek to make the appeal successful.
Rhonex Kipruto, owner of the world record for the 10000 meters on the road, was suspended for six years
The Kenyan received the maximum sanction for irregularities in his biological passport and the Court considered that he was part of a system of “deliberate and sophisticated doping” to improve his performance. He will lose his record and the bronze medal at the Doha World Cup.
Katie Ledecky spoke about doping Chinese swimmers: “It’s difficult to go to Paris knowing that we’re going to compete with some of these athletes”
The American, a seven-time Olympic champion, referred to the case of the 23 positive controls before the Tokyo Games that were announced a few weeks ago and shook the swimming world. “I think our faith in some of the systems is at an all-time low,” he said.
