Santa Monica's 1955 Camera Obscura building in Palisades Park is set to become a free Swiss cultural hub for the 2028 Summer Olympics, with the City Council scheduled to vote Tuesday, July 14, 2026, on a $613,838 design contract to renovate the landmark.

The Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs is paying a $300,000 license fee to use the 5,000-square-foot building at 1450 Ocean Avenue from June 14, 2028, through September 21, 2028, covering both the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The deal could reach $500,000 if Switzerland exercises an option for additional space.

City staff called the project a "lasting legacy," writing in a report to the Council that the renovation "would return a beautified and improved asset to the Santa Monica community." The staff report does not detail the specific physical improvements the contract would fund.

The Council approved the license agreement with the Swiss FDFA on Tuesday, May 26, 2026. The July 14 vote would authorize a no-bid contract with Omgivning, Inc., a Los Angeles architecture firm that specializes in adaptive reuse. The firm's founder and principal, Karin Liljegren, will lead the design work.

During the Swiss activation, the building will be open to the public at no cost. The space will host free programming on sports, art, food, and Swiss culture, according to city staff.

Built as the city's Senior Recreation Center, the building was designed by architect Weldon J. Fulton. The Santa Monica Conservancy describes its signature feature as a "quirky artifact — a pinhole camera capturing images from outside and showing them in a darkened room." The city purchased the camera obscura device in 1910 and moved it near its current location to attract tourists.

The building most recently housed the Camera Obscura Art Lab, which hosted artists-in-residence three times a year. City staff said the Art Lab has been relocated to Bergamot Station to make the building available for renovation.

The Camera Obscura project is part of a broader city strategy to leverage the 2028 Games. The same May 26, 2026, council action authorized negotiations with the French National Olympic Committee for use of the Annenberg Beach House and with ESPN for the Santa Monica Pier Deck during the 2027 Super Bowl.

The contract is listed as Consent Calendar item 4.A. on the July 14 agenda. The renovation's construction timeline has not been announced.