House of Switzerland

The House of Switzerland is the official guesthouse of the Swiss Confederation, which is built, furnished and operated for the duration of the Olympic Games and the Paralympic Games. It is the official meeting point of the Swiss Olympic Team and the venue for the official medal celebrations of the Swiss medalists.^[1]

The House of Switzerland, called Maison Suisse, at the 2024 Summer Olympics and the 2024 Summer Paralympics in Paris in the garden of the Hôtel de Besenval, the Embassy of the Swiss Confederation.

The House of Switzerland is one of the few Houses of Nations at the Olympic Games that is open to the public.^[2]

More than the Olympic Games

The name House of Switzerland – which has long since become a trademark – is no longer used by the Swiss Confederation exclusively for projects related to the Olympic Games. Other official appearances of the Swiss Confederation – mainly abroad – now also operate under this name. Nevertheless, it is still the Houses of Switzerland at the Olympic Games that are best known to the public. What all appearances under the name House of Switzerland have in common is that they are operated by Presence Switzerland.^[3]

History

Roger Federer at the House of Switzerland, celebrating his silver medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London on 5 August 2012.

The tradition of the House of Switzerland dates back to 1998, when the House of Switzerland was first built for the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, operated by the Swiss Olympic Association. The idea was to create a meeting point for the Swiss Olympic Team as well as the official Swiss delegations, but also for fans travelling from Switzerland.^[4]

More than sports

A crowd pleaser: The ice rink at the House of Switzerland at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

From the beginning, the central element of the concept was the operation of a restaurant serving Swiss specialties, combined with specialties from the respective host country, a concept which became known as gastrodiplomacy. For this reason, an existing restaurant or a building with the appropriate infrastructure is usually rented and converted to operate the House of Switzerland. In the case of the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, a kind of resort was even built where the public could practice various sports disciplines, including ice skating.^[4]

If the sporting competition venues and the official host city are far apart, two Houses of Switzerland are established. This was the first time the case during the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, where a House of Switzerland was operated in Sestriere in addition to Turin. Another example is the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, where a second House of Switzerland was operated in Whistler.^[4]

Diplomacy takes over

Thomas Liu Le Lann at the Maison Suisse Artist Talk on 5 September 2024, on the occasion of the Olympic Games in Paris.

Over time, however, the House of Switzerland developed into a platform for Swiss public diplomacy, with a focus on sports and gastrodiplomacy. Due to this development, it was clear to the Swiss Olympic Association that it should place the organisation and operation of the House of Switzerland in the hands of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA).^[1]

Left to right: The Federal Councillors Alain Berset, Guy Parmelin, Ueli Maurer, President of the Swiss Confederation in 2019, and Ignazio Cassis at the opening of the first House of Switzerland at the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting in Davos in 2019. This is the only House of Switzerland institutionalised by a Federal Council resolution.^[5]

Since the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, the House of Switzerland has been under the project management of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA). Within the FDFA, Presence Switzerland (PRS) is responsible for the planning, implementation and execution of the concept for the House of Switzerland, which is based on a public–private partnership (PPP).^[4]

In addition to athletes, sports fans, the federal administration and further partners and sponsors, also the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SRG SSR) uses the House of Switzerland as its local headquarters. At the same time, the House of Switzerland serves as a marketing and event platform for the Swiss economy, tourism, culture and science. A corresponding supporting programme is part of the concept.^[4]

Over the years, there have been several Houses of Switzerland that have been in the spotlight due to their programmes, guests, location, architecture or special national significance. These include the Mobile House in Sochi in 2014, the House in the garden of the historic Hôtel de Besenval in Paris in 2024, called Maison Suisse, and the House at the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting in Davos, which has been dedicated to international relations since 2019.

Exceptional Houses of Switzerland

The French edition in the garden of the embassy: The Maison Suisse

The House of Switzerland, called Maison Suisse, at the 2024 Summer Olympics and the 2024 Summer Paralympics in Paris in the garden of the Hôtel de Besenval. The head of project (FDFA) was Philipp Ittig (* 1986).

For the 2024 Summer Olympics and the 2024 Summer Paralympics in Paris, a two-storey pavilion, called Maison Suisse – because French, the language of the host country, is also a Swiss national language – was erected in the garden of the Hôtel de Besenval, the seat of the Embassy of the Swiss Confederation since 1938. It was the first time that a House of Switzerland was built on the premises of an Embassy of the Swiss Confederation.

The nymphaeum, the Baron de Besenval's former private bath with an elliptical pool, at the Hôtel de Besenval after its renovation and transformation in 2024. The custom-made oak table seats 22 people.

The Maison Suisse had a total area of 1000 m², which included a bar, a restaurant, a VIP lounge and an Athletes lounge on the ground floor and an event space on the first floor. Furthermore, the programme included changing exhibitions, a cultural programme and art installations by the two Genevan artists Laure Marville (* 1990) and Thomas Liu Le Lann.^[6][7]

The Baron de Besenval's nymphaeum

The legendary nymphaeum of the illustrious Pierre Victor, Baron de Besenval de Brunstatt, in the basement of the Hôtel de Besenval was also part of the concept and served as an event space for top VIP events, hosted by Ambassador Roberto Balzaretti.^[8][9]

In 1782, the Baron de Besenval had this private bath built by the architect Alexandre-Théodore Brongniart and decorated by the sculptor Claude Michel. Since its renovation and transformation in 2024, the nympaeum has served as a wine cellar and event space.^[10][11]

The one-off project: The Mobile House of Switzerland

The Mobile House of Switzerland during the 2014 European Athletics Championships in Zurich. The terrace on the second floor was very popular for medal celebrations in front of a large audience.

Due to the fact that no ideal property could be found in the city of Sochi, a mobile House of Switzerland – manufactured in Switzerland in a classic-modern chalet style – was erected for the first time for the 2014 Winter Olympics. The spruce wood construction consists of 193 largely standardised elements that can be transported on fourteen semi-trailers or in containers. A further five trucks are needed to transport the interior fittings.

A house consisting of four houses: Facts & figures

2014 Winter Olympics: Iouri Podladtchikov giving an interview whilst celebrating his gold medal at the Mobile House of Switzerland in Sochi.

Four elements – also called houses, because they can also be used individually without the other elements – with two or three floors and a total area of 730 m² are arranged in such a way that they form an inner courtyard of 66 m². The ground floor houses a restaurant, a kitchen with take-out, a stage and exhibition rooms. The VIP and Athletes' lounge and an office space are on the first floor. A further lounge and the studios and backrooms for television and radio are on the second floor. Although a third floor is visible from the outside of one of the building's elements, this isn't actually the case. The third floor visible from the outside is a double height ceiling, providing space for the anchor studio of the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SRG SSR).^[6]

Sochi, Milan, Zurich and Interlaken

After its first appearance in Sochi, the mobile building was used in a scaled-down version at the Giro del Gusto from 30 April to 11 May 2014 in Milan. In August 2014, it was used in full size on the Sechseläutenplatz in Zurich during the European Athletics Championships.^[6]

In 2024, it was decided that the Mobile House of Switzerland would be permanently installed on the grounds of the Interlaken Air Base. The building will serve as a federal training facility, primarily for the Federal Office for Customs and Border Security (FOCBS), as well as an event venue.^[12]

The exception: The House of Switzerland at the World Economic Forum in Davos

23 January 2025 – House of Switzerland, Davos: The Federal Huissier (far left in uniform) escorts the Swiss–Thai delegation to the meeting with Federal Councillor Guy Parmelin for the signing ceremony of the Free Trade Agreement between Switzerland and the other members of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) and the Kingdom of Thailand. The Thai delegation is headed by Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra. The Prime Minister is flanked by members of the Thai Cabinet, such as the Minister of Commerce, Pichai Naripthaphan, as well as Swiss and Thai diplomats and members of parliament, including Ambassador Pimchanok Pitfield, State Secretary Helene Budliger Artieda and National Councillor Nick Gugger.^[13]

At its meeting on 14 June 2019, the Swiss Federal Council decided to continue and institutionalise the House of Switzerland at the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting in Davos, which was first operated at the WEF Annual Meeting in January 2019 and has since been entirely dedicated to international relations. This is the only House of Switzerland institutionalised by a Federal Council resolution, the only House of Switzerland directly related to government business and the only House of Switzerland that is set up and operated at the same location every year. Its premises are located in the Eisstadion Davos.^{[5][14][15][16]}

The House of Switzerland in Davos serves as a communication and networking platform for the official Swiss delegation, consisting of the members of the Swiss Federal Council, the state secretaries and other high-ranking diplomats and officials as well as members of parliament. Like all official Houses of Switzerland, the House of Switzerland in Davos is also operated by Presence Switzerland (PRS), with internal support from the Federal Office for Buildings and Logistics (FOBL), the Federal Office of Police (Fedpol) and the Federal Intelligence Service (FIS).^[5][14][16]

The official House of the Government of Switzerland

20 January 2020 – House of Switzerland, Davos: The President of the Swiss Confederation, Simonetta Sommaruga, and the Federal Councillors Karin Keller-Sutter and Ignazio Cassis as well as the State Secretaries Roberto Balzaretti, Mario Gattiker and Marie-Gabrielle Ineichen-Fleisch and the Director of the Federal Office of Energy, Benoît Revaz, meet the delegation of the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, for talks on bilateral relations between Switzerland and the European Union.^[17]

During the WEF Annual Meeting in Davos, the House of Switzerland serves as the official representation of the Swiss Federal Council. Accordingly, the House of Switzerland is popularly referred to as the Federal Palace of Davos or Chalet Fédéral. The House of Switzerland provides prestigious meeting rooms available to members of the Government of Switzerland for bilateral meetings, press conferences and signing ceremonies, such as the signing ceremony of the Free Trade Agreement between Switzerland and the other members of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) and the Kingdom of Thailand on 23 January 2025.^{[5][18][13][16]}

In the service of public diplomacy

Paul Bulcke, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Nestlé from 2017 to 2026, giving an interview to CNNMoney on the launch of the initiative: Swiss Food and Nutrition Valley, on 23 January 2020 at the House of Switzerland in Davos.^[19]

The House of Switzerland in Davos also has event spaces, which the federal administration uses together with external partners to organise public events in the fields of science, business and politics. Accordingly, other federal agencies such as the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (Seco), the State Secretariat for International Finance (SIF) and the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) as well as federal-related organisations and institutions such as Switzerland Global Enterprise (S-GE), the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) and the ETH Zürich (ETHZ) also use the House of Switzerland in Davos. It is also fitting that – as has long been the practice at the Olympic Games – the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SRG SSR) has had its studio space in the House of Switzerland since 2025.^[5][18][16]

"The WEF Annual Meeting in Davos is the best economic policy platform. There's no better place to focus on your interests."

— Ambassador Nicolas Bideau (* 1969), Director of Presence Switzerland (2011–2024), on the importance of the House of Switzerland at the WEF Annual Meeting in Davos^[20]