From Rome to Geneva, via Bern and Munich – about the FIBA headquarters.
From Rome to Geneva, via Bern and Munich – about the FIBA headquarters. FIBA’s headquarters haven’t always been in the beautiful “Patrick Baumann House of Basketball.” The current location is the fourth in a long and prestigious history. The organization’s founding in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1932 was one of the most powerful FIBA 90 iconic moments because it led to what is now truly its own “home” in Mies.
Then, it moved quickly to Rome from the end of 1932 to 1940. When the Second World War broke out that same year, it moved to Bern. It was in Bern until 1956, when Borislav Stankovic, who was Secretary General at the time, decided to move it to Munich, where it stayed for more than 30 years.
The first FIBA
The first time FIBA decided to build its headquarters was in 1968, but it wasn’t until the FIBA World Congress in 1998 that the idea was looked at more closely. Then, in May 2000, eight cities pitched their plans to the Central Board, which made the final decision. After that, FIBA chose to move back to Geneva, which it did in May 2002.
Luscher Architects SA of Lausanne
In 2008, FIBA bought an 8500-square-meter plot of land in the village of Mies, just outside of Geneva, to build its own home. The final design for the building was chosen through a competition. The winner, Luscher Architects SA of Lausanne, Switzerland, was chosen by the FIBA Central Board at a meeting in Istanbul on December 11, 2009. During the building phase, a 40-meter-long bridge structure that goes over the Naismith Arena was made out of 170 tons of steel and 3,000 square meters of glass.
There was also a big effect on the environment. The building met the highest standards of sustainability set by the Swiss label MINERGIE-ECO® for an energy-efficient building, and 300 square meters of solar panels covered the roof. By June 18, 2013, the official opening of the amazing, high-tech building made a dream come true. This was FIBA’s anniversary.
Patrick Baumann House of Basketball
The Patrick Baumann House of Basketball is run by the FIBA Foundation. It is home to the administrative staff of FIBA’s headquarters, as well as a FIBA Conference Centre, the FIBA Hall of Fame, the Exhibition Hall, and the Pedro Ferrandiz Library, which has more than 7,000 books in 20 different languages. From above, it looks like a hand. This is one of the most important parts of FIBA’s visual identity, and you can see it when you fly into Geneva Airport. It also has a steel framework that looks like a woven basketball net.
The 3×3 basketball court at the entrance acts as a “red carpet” for visitors. As a result, many of them get the chance to see over 40,000 items from the Pedro Ferrandiz Foundation in Madrid that show the history and culture of basketball. These items were collected over 20 years.
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