The Olympics today go beyond sports, acting as a catalyst for urban innovation in the host city. A prime example is the Olympic Village for the 2024 Paris Games, a new residential district in the Saint-Denis and Saint-Ouen-Sur-Seine area. Featuring 82 buildings, the village will be handed over to residents in 2025, offering housing for 2,000 families and 800 students.
Recycled Streetlights for the Olympic Village 2024
Led by SOLIDEO, the French agency overseeing construction for the Olympics, the project followed key eco-design principles, focusing on environmental impact and sustainability. The master plan, developed by TER, involved Studio 5•5 to ensure these goals were met. One notable sustainable initiative is the public lighting system, which features 350 streetlights crafted from recycled materials, designed in collaboration with CONCEPTO, a lighting design agency, and designers Alexandre Moronnoz and Sineu Graff.
An Example of Eco-Design for Urban Lighting
By repurposing old streetlights and scaffolding tubes, the team constructed the new streetlight poles, showcasing an innovative approach to urban upcycling.
This approach highlights the potential of reusing discarded materials in design. The streetlights were designed in two different heights: larger models in galvanized steel and smaller ones in laminated wood paired with metal crosspieces sourced from construction pipes. The structure’s angle, equipped with LED sources, was carefully planned to light the streets and provide proximity lighting for pawns, avoiding interference with the newly planted trees, which will grow significantly in the coming years.
By repurposing old streetlights and scaffolding tubes, the team constructed the new streetlight poles, showcasing an innovative approach to urban upcycling.
This project is designed to last well beyond the conclusion of the 2024 Olympics. It stands as a prime example of sustainable urban development, requiring minimal maintenance, as confirmed by the project’s designers.