December Grand Reopening for Olympic Museum

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.

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