The National Speed Skating Oval at the Beijing Olympic Park / Populous + BIAD

The National Speed Skating Oval at the Beijing Olympic Park / Populous + BIAD - Image 2 of 20The National Speed Skating Oval at the Beijing Olympic Park / Populous + BIAD - Interior PhotographyThe National Speed Skating Oval at the Beijing Olympic Park / Populous + BIAD - Exterior PhotographyThe National Speed Skating Oval at the Beijing Olympic Park / Populous + BIAD - Exterior PhotographyThe National Speed Skating Oval at the Beijing Olympic Park / Populous + BIAD - More Images+ 15

  • Client: Beijing State Asset Management Co. Ltd (BSAM)
  • Owner: Beijing National Speed Skating Oval Management Co., Ltd
  • Capacity: 12,000 (8,000 permanent and 4,000 temporary seats)
  • Schematic Design: Populous
  • City: Beijing
  • Country: China
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The National Speed Skating Oval at the Beijing Olympic Park / Populous + BIAD - Exterior Photography
Courtesy of Populous

Text description provided by the architects. With the culmination of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, the remaining and only permanent new venue, the National Speed Skating Oval (NSSO), reflected a new Olympic chapter for China. The stunning ‘Ice Ribbon’ stood alongside the ‘Bird’s Nest’ and ‘Water Cube’ which were built for the 2008 Summer Olympics precinct making Beijing the only city in the world to host both a Summer and Winter Olympic Games.

The National Speed Skating Oval at the Beijing Olympic Park / Populous + BIAD - Exterior Photography
Courtesy of Populous
The National Speed Skating Oval at the Beijing Olympic Park / Populous + BIAD - Image 15 of 20
Diagram
The National Speed Skating Oval at the Beijing Olympic Park / Populous + BIAD - Image 2 of 20
Courtesy of Populous

Designed as a spectacular landmark, the NSSO was the main venue for the Winter Olympics speed skating competition and will  continue to provide a community sport and training venue after the Games. It was designed by the global sports architecture firm Populous, after winning an international design competition in 2016.

The National Speed Skating Oval at the Beijing Olympic Park / Populous + BIAD - Interior Photography
Courtesy of Populous

FROM THE CHILDHOOD MEMORIES OF AN “OLD BEIJINGER”

A childhood memory of a traditional winter game in Beijing provided much of the inspiration for the conceptual design for the NSSO’s ‘Ice Ribbon’. The game was “ice tops” and the memory belonged to Tiric Chang, Principal of Populous in China and the co-project director of the NSSO. Having lived in Beijing since he was a child, Tiric has vivid memories of wintertime in the capital city, laughing and playing with his young friends around the ice tops in the Shichahai Park ice rink.

The National Speed Skating Oval at the Beijing Olympic Park / Populous + BIAD - Image 10 of 20
Courtesy of Populous

“The traditional ice game in old Beijing involved a high-speed spinning and leaping ice top that seemed to have infinite energy and possibilities. That’s what I thought of when reflecting on the characteristics of Olympic speed skating. So, the ice tops became part of the design inspiration injecting a strong Chinese memory into the venue,” Chang said.

The National Speed Skating Oval at the Beijing Olympic Park / Populous + BIAD - Image 16 of 20
Diagram
The National Speed Skating Oval at the Beijing Olympic Park / Populous + BIAD - Interior Photography
Courtesy of Populous

Following the worldwide design competition involving over 60 companies, Populous was selected to design the architectural concept scheme for NSSO, creating an iconic new venue for Beijing and the only permanent new venue for the 2022 Winter Olympic Games and Paralympic Games. This win sees the firm involved in their 14th Olympic Games, both summer and winter.

The National Speed Skating Oval at the Beijing Olympic Park / Populous + BIAD - Image 8 of 20
Courtesy of Populous

A BEAUTIFUL EVOLUTION FROM ICE TOP TO ICE RIBBON

Another distinctive childhood memory evolved the ice top concept to the final ice ribbon design. From an early age, Chang was captivated by his grandparents and father’s dedication to the study and the preservation of the Dunhuang Grottoes, an important collection of Buddhist art from the Tang dynasty. Chang’s grandmother told him stories of the grotto paintings which showed flying apsaras, not with wings, but flying freely through the sky with their stunning, colourful silk ribbons.

The National Speed Skating Oval at the Beijing Olympic Park / Populous + BIAD - Exterior Photography
Courtesy of Populous

“This concept became an important inspiration for me in the design of NSSO. It guided the design team to boldly extend the concept of a high-speed rotating ice top to creating 22 rotating light bands for the façade, which not only represent the ice surface and the shape of the oval, but also perfectly demonstrate the high-speed movement of speed skaters. The ice top transformed into an ice ribbon and the design of NSSO created a beautiful interpretation of Chinese culture and heritage from figurative to abstract by our global design team,” Chang explains.

The National Speed Skating Oval at the Beijing Olympic Park / Populous + BIAD - Image 14 of 20
Elevations

In addition to the beautiful appearance of NSSO, the design process has also been thoroughly considered in terms of its practical functions to meet the requirements on the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Skating Union (ISU). Importantly, the design also adds to the intense and exciting atmosphere where every movement and sound of the speed skating blades can be seen and heard by everyone in the oval. 

A GLOBAL CREATION

Although the design concept originated from a memory of China, NSSO is the result of a global collaboration across multiple Populous offices. “Our teams in Beijing, Brisbane, India, London and Denver all worked together, drawing on our experience from Oval Lingotto in Turin, Italy and our design of Fisht Stadium in Russia, home of the 2014 Winter Olympic Games, as well as our worldwide Olympic and arena experience. The NSSO’s distinctive façade celebrates the precision, pace and drama of speed skating and takes its place in the iconic Olympic Park, complementing Beijing’s ‘Bird’s Nest’ and the ‘Water Cube’,” Chang said.

The National Speed Skating Oval at the Beijing Olympic Park / Populous + BIAD - Image 19 of 20
Render

The light strands (or ribbons) flow up and around the Oval, cocooning it to a height of some 33.8 metres. This ‘shell’ secures a high level of visitor comfort and amenity, in keeping with it being the world leading speed skating venue for competitors and spectators. 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 client, Beijing National Speed Skating Oval Operation Co. said the ‘Ice Ribbon’ demonstrates the excellence of Populous’ design and justified their international reputation in sports architecture.

The National Speed Skating Oval at the Beijing Olympic Park / Populous + BIAD - Exterior Photography
Courtesy of NSSO

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Project location

Address:Beijing Olympic Park, Chao Yang Qu, China

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Location to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.
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Cite: "The National Speed Skating Oval at the Beijing Olympic Park / Populous + BIAD" 22 Feb 2022. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/977301/the-national-speed-skating-oval-at-the-beijing-olympic-park-populous> ISSN 0719-8884

Courtesy of Populous

“冰丝带”,国家速滑馆 / Populous + 北京市建筑设计研究院

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