Ice Special Report: 9 – China is preparing to replicate the success of the 2008 Summer Olympics with the next winter event less than two years away.
Winter Olympics: Beijing 2022
Also published in: Tsport 335
The National Speed Skating Oval in Beijing (Contributed by Beijing National Speed Skating Oval Operation Co., Ltd).
With an eye to environmental impact, Beijing 2022 wants to be an opportunity to create “green, inclusive, open and clean ” Games.
But the most iconic venue, which will remain as a permanent landmark for the city, will be the “Ice Ribbon“, the speed skating facility whose architectural concept is due to Populous, winner of an international design competition in which 66 candidates took part.
‘The Ice Ribbon’ shows a distinctive and poetic façade, that evokes and celebrates the elegance, precision, pace and drama that is speed skating. Twenty-two separate light strands (or ribbons) flow up and around the Oval, cocooning it to a height of over 30 metres.
At night, the facade creates an exciting spectacle, with each of the strands becoming dynamic ribbons of light, able to change to an endless array of lighting programs.
The site will include a 400m racing track with an ice surface to world’s best standard. It will accommodate around 12,000 spectators (8000 permanent and 4000 temporary seats) positioned close to the action.
