The 2026 Winter Olympic Games — taking place in Milan, Italy and surrounding areas — are right around the corner.
Spectators now have a glimpse into where athletes will be staying when they’re not competing. According to the International Olympic Committee, there will be six Olympic Villages across Northern Italy, in Milan, Livigno, Bormio, Predazzo, Anterselva, and Cortina.
“Each location is designed to make the most of existing or temporary structures, minimizing new construction and adapting to local needs,” a statement from the IOC explained, “while ensuring athletes can enjoy the full Olympic experience.”
Two village locations have stood out as uniquely sustainable options.
First is the main Olympic Village, which will sit in the heart of Milan and be home to Olympians and Paralympians. Once an abandoned railway yard, the space has been transformed into six residential blocks that will accommodate about 1,500 residents.
Aside from the urban restoration, it will also go on to have another life after the Games when it’s converted into a student housing development, which will provide 1,700 beds — including subsidized options — to locals.
The future student housing will offer 30% of the apartments at subsidized rates, at an average of about €430/month, which is roughly 25% below market pricing.
According to designboom, the development has already been pre-qualified by the Italian Ministry of Universities for public funding, which could potentially lead to reduced rents for up to 12 years.
“Olympic Villages have always reflected their time — from wooden huts in 1924 to lasting community neighbourhoods today. Each edition tells a story about the context and ambitions of its hosts,” Marie Sallios, the director for sustainability at the IOC, said.
“Milano Cortina 2026 continues this evolution, showing that housing athletes is about more than logistics — it’s about creating lasting value for local people.”
The Milan village will also include rooftop solar panels, rainwater reuse systems, heat pumps, and use low-carbon construction materials, further prioritizing sustainability in its development.
The Village Plaza, a pedestrian square in the center of the new buildings, will also eventually become a permanent, public space for markets and other communal activities.
Another standout living arrangement for the 2026 Games is a temporary village in Cortina, just at the foot of the Dolomites. Consisting of about 377 compact, prefabricated wooden units, the village is being likened to a “trailer park.”
The area will host women’s alpine skiing, curling, bobsled, luge, and skeleton competitions, and athletes will be able to rest up in the modular complex, where each unit is “about the size of a small apartment,” according to the IOC.
Made to be temporary, the Cortina village is called a “pop-up Alpine town” by the IOC, where Olympians and Paralympians can enjoy the quiet, peaceful surroundings, while having access to dining halls and recreation spaces.
After the Games, the mobile home village will be removed so the area can be restored as an open, natural space.
“It’s located in a very quiet area of Cortina, where you have the opportunity to hear the sound of the mountains, isolate yourself if you wish, concentrate if you desire, or go out for a pleasant workout,” Fabio Saldini, the Italian government commissioner overseeing infrastructure for the games, told the Associated Press.
“The beauty of a Village like this lies in the fact that everything will be removed afterward. Nothing is permanent; the environment will not return to its previous state but will be improved. This is a temporary village, but of high design.”
According to the IOC, athletes will have access to modern climate control and “ergonomic furnishings” inside each unit, as well as an individual bathroom and shower. A gym, game room, offices, relaxation areas, and a laundromat will be nearly a mile-long walk away in a communal building, per AP.
The mobile home village did require the cutting down of some local trees, but Paride Casagrande, the construction manager of the development, told AP many of the trees were already dead and that the facility will be building new plants and trees that will remain long after the Games.
The mobile homes will also be removed but not scrapped; They will be reused at camping sites around Italy, with some already planned for a hockey club in neighboring Brunico.
In addition to unique approaches to housing, many events for the Games will take place in existing structures. The IOC reports that the 2026 Winter Olympics will use 85% existing infrastructure to reduce construction.
“By anchoring events in existing venues, the Olympic Games reduce the need for new construction, leverage local expertise and help communities deliver projects that meet real needs,” Sallios said, “accelerating investment in transport and energy upgrades to new housing and community facilities.”
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Header image © Milano Cortina 2026
