Rome 2024 Olympic Bid
Celebrating Rome’s unique ancient heritage
- CLIENT: Italian National Olympic Committee known as CONI
- LOCATION: Rome, Italy
- CAPACITY: City of Rome
- SERVICES: Consultancy + Masterplanning
In its bid to host the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI) appointed WOO architects as Head of Design to lead the development of the Games masterplan and the design of all new venues. The project offered a unique opportunity to integrate Olympic venues within the iconic historic context of ancient Rome, celebrating the city’s heritage while proposing innovative solutions to meet the requirements of the Games.
Central to the bid was a focus on temporary and adaptable designs. Highlights included transforming the Foro Italico’s tennis arenas into an outdoor venue for diving and water polo, developing a new university campus and athlete village in Tor Vergata that could later be repurposed for academic use, and placing road-race events and archery finals in the historic Via dei Fori Imperiali. Another stand-out feature was a temporary beach volleyball arena in the Circo Massimo, offering a stunning backdrop for the competition.
The Rome 2024 bid was developed with meticulous attention to sustainability, accessibility, and legacy, combining innovative temporary solutions with long-term urban benefits. Through advanced planning methodologies and a bold reinterpretation of the Games framework, WOO unlocked the city’s potential as an Olympic host while honouring its historic character.
The design and masterplanning were met with approval from CONI and the IOC, gaining central government endorsement. Although the bid was ultimately cancelled by the incoming Rome mayor in October 2016, the proposal remains a testament to WOO’s ability to conceive and deliver transformative, context-sensitive designs that re-imagine the Olympic Games in an innovative and enduring way.
