Athlete’s Village in Rio

The Rio 2016 Summer Olympics was the largest mutli-sport event ever held in Brazil. 16,500 athletes and officials were housed in the athlete’s village – with all being fed from a single main dining facility. PKL’s contract, direct with Rio Olympic Committee, was for the final design and fitout of the main dining facility – a huge 25,000sqm temporary structure.

The restaurant consisted of five different buffets so that all national nutritional and dietary requirements were met. The five specialist cooking stations offered: Brazilian, Asian, International, Pizza/Pasta, Halal and Kosher choices. A team of 20 master chefs developed the diverse menu to ensure all athletes felt at home.

Within PKL’s fit-out scope was the distribution of electrical, plumbing, mechanical and refrigeration systems necessary to install the kitchen. PKL’s installation needed to meet national construction and hygiene standards. This was achieved by managing local contractors as well as assisting the Committee in the management of their own supply chain.

As you would expect, the installation itself couldn’t start until carnival was over. From beginning of construction at the end of February, work was completed in early July – on time and on budget. PKL also provided a 24-hour maintenance cover throughout the duration of the games, with specialist engineers based on site.