guide to the paris 2024 olympics, from the design of the games to exhibitions around the city

What to see during paris 2024 olympics and paralympics games

Paris 2024 Games begins on July 26th with the opening ceremony along the Seine River. It is the first time in the history of the Olympic Summer Games that the opening is held outside a stadium. Before then, the city already welcomed the installation of the Olympic rings right on the Eiffel Tower on June 7th, a sign that Paris is ready for the Games. The schedule follows the Olympics kicking off and ending on August 11th. The Paralympics comes next on August 28th and finishes on September 8th.

Before the Games begin, we had the chance to interview its Head of Design, Joachim Roncin. In his conversation with designboom, he touches on the making of the Olympics and Paralympics designs, from the torches and medals to the posters and mascots. He discussed these visuals that visitors and viewers are set to see throughout the competitions. Outside of the designs, exhibitions take place in Paris, coinciding with the 2024 Olympics and Paralympic Games. Our guide lists what to see and visit within and outside the summer multi-sport events.

image courtesy of Paris 2024

THE DESIGN BEHIND THE 2024 OLYMPIC AND PARALYMPIC GAMES

INTERVIEW WITH PARIS 2024’S HEAD OF DESIGN, JOACHIM RONCIN

As the Head of Design for Paris 2024 Olympics and Paralympics Games, Joachim Roncin tells designboom in our interview that he is responsible for coming up with all the visuals that visitors, viewers, and even athletes see in the city during the events. Cohesion and uniformity are some of his guiding themes, leading him and his team to make their designs distinctive in color and flair yet cohesive in identity. The torches, medals, mascots, emblems and posters then are the same, with their subtle details such as the logos varying but their overall aesthetic being uniform.

portrait of Joachim Roncin | image courtesy of Paris 2024

MATHIEU LEHANNEUR’S PARIS 2024 TORCH MIMICS RIPPLES OF SEINE RIVER

Mathieu Lehanneur designs the torch for the Paris 2024 Olympics and Paralympics. He crafts it from steel and divides it into two sections. He guides the team to polish the upper section to a smooth finish, making the torch reflect its surroundings. The bottom section is sculpted to mimic waves, paying tribute to the rippling waters of the River Seine. Moving upward, he cuts a slit in the side of the torch to allow the flames to emerge before rising. This design ensures that, regardless of the weather conditions, the flames may sway but not extinguish.

Mathieu Lehanneur’s torch design for Paris 2024 | image courtesy of Paris 2024 and Mathieu Lehanneur

LVMH’S CHAUMET DESIGNS MEDAL FOR PARIS 2024 GAMES

LVMH’s French jeweler Chaumet works on the medals for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, which resemble pieces of fine jewelry. For the first time in the history of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, each medal is crafted from iron sourced from the Eiffel Tower in Paris. The original iron from the Eiffel Tower is cut into a hexagon and embedded in the back of the medals. It honors the arches and slopes of the tower, guided by the geometric shapes, reminding athletes that the Olympic and Paralympic Games are being held in the French capital this year. 

image © Thomas Deschamps, courtesy of Paris 2024

PARIS 2024 OLYMPICS AND PARALYMPICS MASCOTS ARE THE ‘PHRYGES’

The Paris 2024 Olympics and Paralympic Games unveiled their official mascots, and one of their souvenirs, as the Phryges, a modern and plush take on the historical Phrygian caps. The Paris 2024 Games have chosen to revive this historical cap as a mascot in the spirit of sports. The Phrygian cap is a guide and symbol of freedom and bravery in French history, particularly during the country’s revolutions, and it serves as an emblem of the French Republic. This iconic cap is even featured on the French national symbol, Marianne, whose busts are displayed in town halls across the country and appear on postage stamps.

image courtesy of Paris 2024

UGO GATTONI SPLITS PARIS 2024 OLYMPICS AND PARALYMPICS POSTERS

Joachim Roncin taps illustrator Ugo Gattoni to create a vibrant and detailed fresco for the official posters of Paris 2024 Olympics and Paralympics Games. The results celebrate the Games, drawn from the meticulously designed rich and joyful world. The posters, which are diptychs, brim with intricate details and micro-stories, centered around the iconic Eiffel Tower and the Stade de France, both symbolic landmarks of Paris. After more than 2,000 hours of dedicated work, Ugo Gattoni guides viewers to see that his final creation is presented as two distinct posters, each capturing the essence of Olympics and Paralympics.

image courtesy of Paris 2024

TEAM MONGOLIA’S UNIFORMS FOR PARIS 2024 OLYMPICS PARADE

Team Mongolia’s uniforms for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games parade have taken the internet by storm. Michel and Amazonka Choigaalaa are the creative forces behind these intricate uniforms, inspired by the country’s traditional clothing, the Deel. The Ulaanbaatar-based sisters, designers, and creative directors have introduced two sets of uniforms: one for the flag bearers and another for the athletes. They revealed that each set of uniforms took an average of 20 hours to create across six stages, with the entire design process spanning three months. The standout elements are the vests, adorned in the national colors of blue, red, and white and stitched with gold thread.

image courtesy of MICHELAMAZONKA

GUIDE ON WHAT SEE DURING PARIS 2024 OLYMPICS & PARALYMPICS

Ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, design projects related to the events and sports take shape across the city. Fans of swimming may appreciate the floating pool resembling the hull of a large sailboat, constructed with wood, steel, and glass. Visitors can also skate using the polychrome skateable sculpture built within a complex building. Even the temporary home of the athletes, dubbed the village, has visuals that both design and sport fans may want to spot during their time in Paris. Have a look at our guide to find out where to visit them.

SEINE DESIGN REVEALS FLOATING SWIMMING POOL ‘ANNETTE K’

Seine Design has introduced Annette K, a floating swimming pool and wellness gym in Paris, France. This project, reminiscent of the historic Deligny pool and the idyllic water scenes of the Impressionist era, includes an Olympic-length swimming pool along with a sports, health, and wellness center, coinciding with the Paris 2024 Olympics and Paralympics Games. Located in Port de Javel Bas in Paris, the standout feature of Annette K is the suspended pool, designed to look like the hull of a life-size ketch sailboat on a barge. Made from wood, steel, and glass, the structure blends shipbuilding aesthetics with the green trees and white buildings on the right bank.

images courtesy of Seine Design

SKATEABLE SCULPTURE IN CENTRE POMPIDOU FOR PARIS 2024 GAMES

French artist Raphaël Zarka, in collaboration with architect Jean-Benoît Vétillard, designs a colorful skateable sculpture in the Piazza of Centre Pompidou, Paris just in time for the 2024 Olympic Games. The sculpture invites the public to admire its ochre-hued space while providing ramps for both amateur and professional skaters to enjoy. The Centre Pompidou, which is scheduled for a renovation in 2030 by Moreau Kusunoki in collaboration with Frida Escobedo Studio, hosts Raphaël Zarka’s Cycloïd Piazza from June 22nd to September 15th, 2024.

photo by Fred Mortagne, courtesy of Centre Pompidou

PASTEL COLORS AND TERRACOTTA TILES IN OLYMPICS’ ATHLETES VILLAGE

Swinging by the Olympic and Paralympic Village, the temporary home of the athletes during the 2024 Games, some design features of the compound are not to be missed. There’s the pastel palette of Lot D, named ‘Les Quinconces’, designed by uapS Agency mainly from wood and recycled materials.

Matte terracotta tiles are the components that make up the Village des Athlètes, a residential resort in Paris by Brenac & Gonzalez & Associés. The project encompasses three key buildings: plot 1 at the corner of quai de Seine and rue Agnès Varda, plot 5 along mail Finot, and plot 8 along rue Agnès Varda. Visitors can also see he repurposed scaffolding pipes and street lamps that illuminate the village, conceived by Studio 5•5.

PAUL CLEMENCE CAPTURES ECO-DISTRICT IN PARIS AHEAD OF OLYMPICS

The Clichy-Batignolles ECO-DISTRICT in Paris, photographed by Paul Clemence, transforms land once dedicated to logistics and transport, such as the Saint-Lazare rail tracks and the ring road. The aim was to develop a dense urban area that links previously isolated neighborhoods, enabling extensive housing projects with an emphasis on diversity. Urban planning, led by architect François Grether, landscape designer Jacqueline Osty, and the OGI engineering firm, has turned the area into a central hub centered around a 10-hectare park, one of the largest in Paris. 

image © Paul Clemence

PARIS EXHIBITIONS DURING 2024 OLYMPICS AND PARALYMPICS

While the 2024 Olympics and Paralympics are events to showcase the skills of the athletes, Paris thrives with exhibitions related to sports, the Games, and even the movement of the body. They document and celebrate the multi-sport events throughout the years as well as an inquiry into the relationship between design and sports. Visitors who have free time and days on their packed schedule may drop by one, some or all of these shows to further inform themselves on the fashion, art, and design related to sports.

GAGOSIAN BRINGS CHRISTO, WARHOL AND MORE TO PARIS

Gagosian teams up with the Olympic Museum to present The Art of the Olympics, a two-part group exhibition celebrating the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Taking place at Rue de Castiglione, the exhibition showcases a selection of artworks by Christo, Man Ray, Andy Warhol, Marc Newson, Takashi Murakami, and others. Visitors can view a collection of rarely-seen memorabilia and artifacts from previous Olympic Games. Together, the two segments of The Art of the Olympics highlight the relationship between art and sport.

ANDREAS GURSKY, Amsterdam, Arena I, 2000 (detail). diasec-mounted chromogenic print, in artist’s frame. framed: 109 1/8 x 81 1/2 x 2 1/2 inches (277 x 207 x 6.2 cm), edition of 6 | image © Andreas Gursky, VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn, Germany, courtesy Gagosian

KONSTANTIN GRCIC’s EXHIBITION ON FUTURE OF DESIGN AND SPORT

At Musée du Luxembourg, Konstantin Grcic has curated MATCH: Design & Sport, an exhibition exploring how design shapes the future of sports. Opening alongside the Paris 2024 Olympics, the show features 150 items related to sports like skateboarding. It includes historical artifacts, famous designs, commercial products, prototypes, models, commissioned works, drawings, prints, films, and interactive displays. Running until August 11th, 2024, the exhibition looks at how design in sports goes beyond just the look and feel of things like running shoes or rackets. Visitors also see stadium designs and sports symbols that connect to social and political issues.

MATCH: Design & Sport – A Story Looking to the Future | exhibition design by Konstantin Grcic | image © Didier Plowy for GrandPalaisRmn, 2024, courtesy of Grand Palais RMN and Musée du Luxembourg

KIMSOOJA’S MIRROR INSTALLATION AT BOURSE DE COMMERCE

In the Le monde comme il va exhibition at the Bourse De Commerce in Paris, South Korean artist Kimsooja presents a special project called To Breathe – Constellation. This artwork is set up in the museum’s Rotunda and features a large mirror covering the floor. As visitors approach it, the mirror distorts the view of the surrounding architecture by Tadao Ando, creating the illusion of the sky beneath their feet. Kimsooja also displays her work in 24 cases in the Passage and the museum’s lower level. These include various artworks and video installations that explore themes such as identity, borders, memory, exile, movement, and weaving. The exhibition runs until September 2nd, 2024.

PARALYMPIC HISTORY FROM INTEGRATION IN SPORT TO SOCIAL INCLUSION

At the Panthéon in Place du Panthéon, the exhibition Paralympic History: From Integration in Sport to Social Inclusion (1948- 2024) explores the Paralympic Games and the movement that has built a history centered on pride and the push for a more inclusive society. It also connects to the great figures buried in the Panthéon, who are honored for defending French republican values, including Louis Braille, who created the Braille writing system.

The show features archives, posters, photos, sports equipment, artifacts, and audiovisual materials, showcasing the gradual inclusion of athletes with various disabilities and how the portrayal and materials of competitive sports have evolved over time. The exhibition runs between June 11th and September 29th, 2024.

image © Didier Plowy / Centre des monuments nationaux

‘THE BODY IN MOTION’ AT THE PETIT PALAIS IN PARIS

The Petit Palais – located in Avenue Winston-Churchill – hosts an exhibition called The Body in Motion to celebrate the Paris 2024 Olympics and Paralympics Games. This exhibit, which runs between May 15th and November 17th, features fifty artworks from different periods, from ancient times to the early 20th century, including some pieces that are being shown for the first time. It includes paintings, sculptures, drawings, prints, and other art objects that focus on the body, anatomy, and sports. 

Léopold Cavalière, 3×3 basketball / Le Botteleur (1886) by Jacques, Perrin, as part of the exhibition The Body in Motion at the Petit Palais | photo © Paris Musées / Petit Palais / Laurent Julliand

PALAIS GALLIERA’S FASHION ON THE MOVE #2 EXHIBITION

In light of Paris hosting the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Palais Galliera – located in 10 avenue Pierre 1er de Serbie – hosts Fashion on the Move #2. It’s an exhibition featuring pieces from the museum’s collection. From April 26th, 2024 to January 5th 2025, visitors to the show can see the evolution of fashion from the 18th century to today, with an emphasis on the theme of the body in motion.

The Palais Galliera has selected 300 specialized clothing that has been used in physical and sports activities. The display contrasts sportswear designed for activities like horseback riding, tennis, golf, and cycling with everyday clothing worn in town. This exhibition highlights the development of sportswear and its integration into daily fashion.

Miss Alicia, swimwear by Patou, 1928 | photo © George Hoyningen-Huene Estate Archives, courtesy of Palais Galliera