YOG Village officially opened

INNSBRUCK, January 8, 2012 - Yesterday saw the official opening of the Youth Olympic Village in Innsbruck's General-Eccher-Straße.

The ceremony was carried out at 10:00 by Provincial Vice-Governor Hannes Gschwentner, CEO of the construction company 'Neue Heimat Tirol' Klaus Lugger and Innsbruck 2012 CEO Peter Bayer. The complex will be home to 1700 athletes and team officials from 70 countries during the 1st Winter Youth Olympic Games.

Located in the east of Tyrol's regional capital, the Youth Olympic Village has been built using the latest passive-house technology combined with cutting-edge architecture, meaning that its residents can enjoy comfortable accommodation which will also protect the environment for many years to come. After the end of the Games, the apartments will be handed over to their new tenants and owners, with one of the 13 buildings being used as a residential home.

"The Youth Olympic Village is the largest passive-house complex in Europe and, as such, serves as an example for building projects both in Tyrol and further afield," commented Provincial Vice-Governor Hannes Gschwentner.

"It was the decision to award the inaugural Winter Youth Olympic Games to Innsbruck that kick-started the project to create these 444 apartments, which have been built in record time thanks to the excellent cooperation between the Department of Subsidised Housing, the Tyrolean Military Commando and the Innsbruck 2012 Organising Committee," added Klaus Lugger, Chief Executive Officer of Neue Heimat Tirol, the construction company responsible for building the complex.

"We can be proud of our Youth Olympic Village. I am sure that all the athletes and team officials coming to Innsbruck for the Games will feel very much at home," concluded Innsbruck 2012 CEO Peter Bayer.

(Source: AIPS)