Architectural firm Morphosos was selected from five finalists as the winner of NYC2012’s Olympic Village design Wednesday.
The proposed $1.5 billion complex, which is planned for the Queens West section of Long Island City, would house 16,000 athletes, coaches and team officials if the city wins the 2012 bid.
The design features mainly low-rise buildings skirting the waterfront, and reduces the number of high-rise residences outlined in the original concept to 4 from 10.
It also includes 43 acres of new parkland, as well as an array of sports training facilities, such as fields, a full-size Olympic track and tennis courts.
Following the Games the 4,500 residential units would be converted to accommodate up to 18,000 people.
Officials said the privately developed complex will be built regardless of whether or not the city hosts the Games.
Deputy Mayor Daniel Doctoroff, founder of New York’s Olympic bid, said the design tries to address the main criticisms of the city’s preliminary village proposal. He said the winning design now includes all of the mandated training facilities in the village, which will feature a full-size Olympic track, tennis courts and multipart fields.
To ensure that the winning design provides the best athlete experience, New York 2012 created an Advisory Committee comprised of Olympians and Paralympians and Olympic and Paralympic Games operations experts to review the finalists plans.
Also, a Community Advisory Committee of local residents and business people, representatives of elected officials and government agencies, and members of the local community board, created by New York 21012, issued recommendations and provided the finalists with a community “wish list” for post-Olympic use.