Olympic Memorial Museum

Juan Antonio Samaranch, the president of the International Olympic Committee from 1980 to 2001, devoted his life to the Olympic spirit. Throughout his presidency of the IOC he advocated for reform and inclusion, and he was a strong supporter of China’s bid as host city for the 2008 Olympic Games.

With the design of the Samaranch Memorial Museum two existing typologies merge: the memorial and the museum. The five interlocking rings of the Olympic Logo serves as the foundation for the building’s design: together the five rings create a continuous loop, taking the visitor through both the exhibition and memorial areas. This combination allows the building to both honour the life of Juan Antonio Samaranch while simultaneously creating a place that focuses on the true legacy of the Olympics: creating opportunities for people to meet and celebrate across cultural and geographical boundaries.

The museum is designed to take full advantage of green technologies and utilizes ZIP panels connected to a geothermal system for heating and cooling as well as integrated PV cells on the roof to generate solar powered electricity. These combined technologies should enable the museum to reduce its energy dependency by a minimum of 40 percent.