Winter Olympics: Bouygues Presence in the Alpine Region

France’s public delivery authority responsible for planning the infrastructure for the 2030 Winter Olympics has selected the consortium led by Bouygues Immobilier to create the next village for the games.

Construction is slated to begin in 2027 on the site which is in the alpine location of Saint-Jean-de-Sixt in the French region of Haute-Savoie. 

Among the visitors, the village will welcome close to 1,000 athletes and support staff during the winter Olympic games and more than 500 throughout the winter Paralympics.

Following the events, the village will become a new neighbourhood for the local community.

"This selection [of our project proposal] is a testament to the collective effort of a commiitted team, bringing together renowned partners and numerous local stakeholders,” says Julien Pillot, Director of the Arc Alpin Agency at Bouygues Immobilier.

Landscape and local community considerations

A number of firms are collaborating on the project under Bouygues Immobilier’s direction, including environmental consultancy C+Pos, Haute-Savoie-based ADP Concepteur et Atelier LJN and architecture firms Petitdidier Prioux et Arcane Architectes.

The outcome is a project proposal that considers how the Olympic village will conform to the surrounding landscape, the architectural quality of the structures and the spotlighting of local craftsmanship.

Designed with innovation and sustainability in mind, the team have taken care with selecting materials, which are diverse in their proposed uses.

Buildings that combine wood and stone are the team's answer to embodying contemporary Alpine architecture and helping integrate the village into the mountainous landscape.

“While the 2030 Olympic and Paralympic games will be an exceptional event with global reach, we are convinced that the project’s success will be measured above all by the quality of the legacy it leaves for the residents of Saint-Jean-de-Sixt and the Thônes Valley,” says Julien.

“Our ambition is to create a neighborhood that is more sustainable, innovative, and deeply rooted in the local area." 

An Olympic project to expedite development

Covering 3.3 hectares at the Crêt site at the centre of the Aravis massif, the project is a catalyst for development in the region. 

It will include residential properties, with many designed to be social rentals and offer ‘Bail Réel Solidaire’ – a shared-ownership model.

In total the project will provide 75 homes, a hotel and an array of tourism offerings to suit visitors to the area all year round.

It will also see the reconstruction and extension of the local public welfare office’s holiday centre and a new sports facility in the Thônes Valley.

Bouygues’ continued presence in the Alpine region

A large French industrial conglomerate, Bouygues is one of the major construction and civil engineering groups operating in France’s Alpine region.

Its presence extends over 25 years, throughout which its Arc Alpin Agency has supported local authorities tackle challenges linked to residential development, urban renewal and adaptation to climate change.

In doing so, it also handles massive infrastructure projects such as highways, tunnels and heavy civil works.