(GENEVA, Switzerland/11th December 2008)
The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) has announced today that it will build the ‘FIBA Home of Basketball’ in the Commune of Mies, in the Canton of Vaud, Switzerland. The new building, completely owned and operated by FIBA, will serve as the new headquarters of the world governing body for basketball.
FIBA has purchased in Mies a land of approximately 8.000 square meters and is launching a design competition, hoping to begin construction in the Spring of 2010, with a provisional finalisation of the project at the beginning of 2012. Mies, a municipality in the Canton of Vaud, is located half-way between the cities of Geneva and Nyon and in close proximity with Geneva’s International Airport.
The announcement of the new ‘FIBA Home of Basketball’ in Mies comes exactly one year after the FIBA Central Board, the highest executive body of the International Basketball Federation, agreed on the principle of FIBA purchasing land in Switzerland, in the proximity of Geneva, in order to construct its own home. The current headquarters of FIBA have been located in Geneva since June 2002 and consist of rented offices.
The announcement of the establishment of FIBA’s future headquarters in Mies was made this morning during a press conference that took place at the ‘Conseil Communal’ of Mies and was attended by Mr. Patrick Baumann (FIBA Secretary General and IOC member), Mr. Patrice Engelberts (Syndic of Mies) and Mr. Nicolas Imhof (Chief of Physical Education and Sports in the Canton of Vaud).
Patrick Baumann, FIBA Secretary General and IOC member, stated: “The ‘FIBA Home of Basketball’ will be where this great global sport will live and grow. This new home will enable FIBA to best serve the international basketball community, our National Federations and Zones and all our Partners. FIBA particularly wishes to thank the Municipality of Mies and the Canton of Vaud for their extraordinary support which has resulted today in our dream becoming a reality.”
FIBA is developing an architectural tender to four invited companies which will present their proposals in March 2009. The proposals made by these companies will be evaluated by a panel composed of authorities from FIBA, the Canton of Vaud and the Commune of Mies, after consultation with an independent group of construction experts.
The decision as with regards to which company shall be appointed to construct the building will be taken in April 2009. FIBA plans to lay the foundation stone of its new headquarters in the Spring of 2010 and the new facilities are foreseen to be in full operation by the beginning of 2012.
