The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Governing Board has approved the venue masterplan for the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games.
The Board signed off the five competition venues proposed by the Beijing 2022 Organising Committee, as well as the use of three Paralympic villages in different clusters.
The approval came during three days of meetings which took place from 22-24 June in Bonn, Germany.
In addition, the Board agreed the new composition of several IPC Standing Committees and the first Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games technical delegates, both of which will be announced in due course. The Board also formally endorsed the appointment of Sir Philip Craven, the former IPC President, to the Board of Directors of the Toyota Motor Corporation and signed off the audited accounts for 2017.
A final decision on whether Para bobsleigh will be included in the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games was deferred until September. The sport was provisionally accepted onto the programme in September 2016 pending the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation meeting a number of conditions.
During the meeting the Board received an update on preparations from the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee and was also brought up to date on the IPC Governance Review which began in May. Next steps were agreed ahead of September’s IPC Membership Gathering in Madrid, Spain.
One of two new competition venues to be built in the Beijing zone and a short distance to the north of the Olympic Park, the oval is nicknamed “Ice Ribbon” for the 22 “ribbons” made up of 3,360 pieces of glass around its exterior. #Olympics#Beijing2022#SpeedSkating@ISU_Speedpic.twitter.com/mzj9cE0KvE
ISU Vice President Tron Espeli said he was “very comfortable” with the “impressive progress” that had been made for the oval since his last trip in 2017 and the end-of-2019 expected completion date would allow plenty of time for testing and fine-tuning for #Beijing2022. #Olympicspic.twitter.com/kV9fpN6r13
Beijing 2022 has been making good progress on all fronts since winning the bid in July 2015. The organizers and the residents of Beijing, Yanqing, and Zhangjiakou alike are determined to deliver successful Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in 2022. With the arrival of the Olympic flag in Beijing from PyeongChang this month, preparations for the 2022 Games will pick up even more speed..
National Speed Skating Hall for 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing, China
Schulitz Architects was one of the three finalists in the international competition for the 2022 Winter Olympics ice skating complex in Beijing, China, which comprises a 400 m speed skating track and additional ice skating areas.
In the proposed design, the Olympic Park’s existing landscape of hills and winding paths is extended to situate the new sports facility. It is located on a elevated podium within this hilly park landscape clearly visible from the surrounding areas. The landscape’s generous gestures welcome and invite the visitors, and accompany them inside the arena. The building complex combined with the surrounding landscape evolve to a place of individual identity and offer great opportunities for everyone. The distinctive triangular form derives from the inner organization, resulting in an iconic building, a new heart for Beijing’s Olympic Park.
The 400 m ice oval with its 12,000 spectators as the main Olympic venue is augmented by an additional ice hockey field and the new main attraction after the Olympic Games: an elevated ice skating track. The new elevated ice rink gives the public the opportunity to experience ice skating on a new level, promoting China’s “300 Million People Playing Sports on Ice and Snow” program. The ice skating track offers fantastic views of the inside and the surrounding landscapes and landmarks.
A restaurant area on the top level with views into the Olympic ice oval, ice hockey rink and the elevated ice skating track complements the experience.
The design of the roof and facade follow sustainable aspects according to LEED Gold certification standards: The external horizontal louvre system illuminates the interior without allowing direct sunlight to enter. At the same time, the visitors on the elevated ice skating track have the opportunity to experience the views of the outside landscape. The roof’s skylights are oriented to the north, illuminating the ice oval and auxiliary hall with indirect sunlight. Solar panels on the skylights provide electricity.
At night, the building is lit up with LED technology, allowing the building to glow in various colourful moods according to the current event.
The design’s optimized flexibility of use, the ondulating landscape design, the highly efficient building envelope and its implementation in the urban context resulted in a top prize in the international competition.
Tommorow, the logo for the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games will be unveiled. Below you will find (in anticipation for this event) the launch video and a promotional video of the emblem of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
On Saturday, the construction of Guanting Reservoir Bridge of Beijing-Zhangjiakou high-speed railway in north China was completed. Beijing-Zhangjiakou high-speed railway, a major transportation project for the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, is expected to be finished by the end of 2019. The new railway will boast a speed of 350 kilometers per hour and will shorten the trip between the two cities from the current 3.5 hours to just one hour.
