MUNICH 2018 SECURES ARGE MÜNCHEN 2018 PARTNERSHIP AS NATIONAL SUPPLIER – AS&P and PROPROJEKT form world-class architecture and planning alliance

Munich – Fresh from a successful presentation at the Association of National Olympic Committees General Assembly in Acapulco, Munich 2018 today unveiled the bid's new national suppliers for architecture and planning, with ARGE München 2018 pledging to share its world-class expertise during the finalisation of the Candidature File.

ARGE München 2018, a partnership formed from leading German firms AS&P and PROPROJEKT, has played an important role since the beginning of the bid, when the architecture and planning office conducted the initial feasibility study on Munich's capacity to host the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in 2018. The Munich 2018 Bid Committee created the partnership to develop a uniquely compact ‘Two Park' concept, designed to deliver the best possible athlete experience, with ARGE München 2018 advising in urban planning and locating sites for the events. Now the support from the partnership will continue bolstering Munich's bid through master-planning and project management for sports, transportation and tourist infrastructure in the Candidature File.

Katarina Witt, Chair of the Munich 2018 Bid Committee said:

‘I am delighted to have ARGE München 2018 as our national supplier and to have secured its expert advice until the end of the bid process. The architecture and planning office has assisted Munich enormously in the development of our ‘Two Park' concept, the power of which was recently highlighted during the Bid Committee's presentation in Acapulco. We are very excited about our unique approach that combines Bavarian hospitality and Germany's passion for winter sports. ARGE München 2018 has helped us articulate our dream of a magical WinterFest in 2018.'

The ‘Two Park' concept, which places multiple venues, training and celebration sites into a unified setting, creates an unprecedented level of convenience for the athletes and Olympic family and reflects Munich's long-term commitment to sustainability as a social ethic. The compact plan ensures that approximately 80% of the athletes will reside within five minutes of their competition and training venues. Each park will serve as a major sport and cultural celebration centre for the Games, creating a unique atmosphere that enhances competitive conditions.

Bernhard Schwank, CEO of Munich 2018 echoed Witt's enthusiasm:

‘Choosing ARGE München 2018 as our planning office has absolutely paid off. Thanks to its experience in planning sports mega events and thanks to our shared vision of a Festival of Friendship we have been able to develop a compelling concept. We are determined to set new standards for the Olympic Movement by putting athletes first in every single aspect of our planning.'

Friedbert Greif, Managing Director of AS&P, said:

‘We knew from the very beginning that Munich, Garmisch-Partenkirchen and the Königssee sliding centre would offer an excellent bid, with a real chance of being awarded the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in 2018, so for us it is a logical step to support the bid as national supplier. We have worked hard, with passion and enthusiasm, and we are delighted to have the opportunity to be part of this special project for the entirety of the bid process, and, hopefully, beyond.'

Stefan Klos from PROPROJEKT said:

‘We have worked closely with Munich 2018 to develop the concept for the bid book and we are sure that the finalised Candidature File that is submitted to the IOC in January will have both a future orientated vision and an ambitious yet achievable concept of how Munich will host Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in 2018.'

Ten-time Paralympic Champion and Munich 2018 Ambassador, Martin Braxenthaler, is disappointed he will retire before the Winter Games in 2018:

‘Should Munich be selected to host the Games, I will be sad not to be part of the competition. Just looking at Munich 2018's athlete-friendly concept, it is obvious to me that this will be the best Winter Games that Olympic and Paralympic athletes could possibly imagine.'

The Munich 2018 Bid Committee will be keen to emphasise what a superb end-to-end athlete experience its compact ‘Two Park' concept would provide in their upcoming presentations at the Asian Games 2010 in Guangzhou next month and at the European Olympic Committee General Assembly in Belgrade on 26 November.

Background
Munich, in collaboration with Garmisch-Partenkirchen and Berchtesgadener Land, is applying to host the 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. The application will be put together and managed by Bewerbungsgesellschaft München 2018 GmbH, whose management is chaired by Bernhard Schwank and whose managing director is Jürgen Bühl. Shareholders in the application organisation are the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) with 51 per cent, the City of Munich (30 per cent), the Free State of Bavaria (nine per cent), the market town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen (eight per cent) and the district of Berchtesgadener Land (two per cent). The bid is being supported by national sponsors the Adidas, Allianz, BMW Group, BayWa, Flughafen München GmbH, Lotto Bayern, Deutsche Lufthansa AG and the Sparkasse Finance Group, along with national suppliers ARGE, Deloitte, GfK Verein, IMMO 2018, Messe München GmbH, Norton Rose LLP, Munich Olympic Park, pilot sport and Stadtwerke München GmbH. More information about the concept, the progress of the application and many other aspects can be found at www.muenchen2018.org.