Roof construction ends at National Speed Skating Oval
Updated 15:24, 01-Jan-2020
Sports Scene
01:39

The final unit board of China's National Speed Skating Oval was built on December 31, which means the roof construction of the stadium for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics has been completed. This step brought construction to a close on the new facility's roofing and curved curtain wall, more than two years ahead of the Games.

The National Oval nicknamed the "Ice Ribbon" will serve for the speed skating events at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. It was designed with a full ice surface and equipped with a 400-meter track to meet the criteria of the International Skating Union. Besides, there are 12,000 seats inside with a height of 33.8 meters to demonstrate the overall looking of the stadium. With an area of 12,000 square meters, it is also the largest speed skating venue in Asia. The facade is highlighted by 22 "ice ribbons," each of which measures 622 meters long. The second floor features a Temple of Heaven-inspired curved curtain wall system.

The National Speed Skating Oval is a venue for test events in June 2020 for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. /Xinhua Photo

The National Speed Skating Oval is a venue for test events in June 2020 for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. /Xinhua Photo

The facility is the world's largest sports venue with an orthogonal, bi-directional, single-layer, saddle-shaped, and cable net roof. It is also the first time in the Olympics' history that carbon dioxide direct cooling technology is adopted to reduce carbon emissions, making it a green and environmentally-friendly stadium. The entire project is set to be completed next June.