The National Speed Skating Hall project is located in the north-west of the south park of the Olympic Forest Park, adjacent to the National Tennis Center in the north. The hall, with about 12,000 seats and a building height of 33.8 meters, will host the speed skating competition during the 2022 Olympic Winter Games.
The roof-sealing and enclosure of the National Speed Skating Hall marks the completion of the 2019 goals for the construction of the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing division and Yanqing division.
According to the plan, the National Speed Skating Hall will be completed in June 2020 and meet the requirements of the test event. By then the National Speed Skating Hall “Ice Ribbon”, The National Stadium “Bird’s Nest” and the National Aquatics Center “Water Cube” will form the landmark complex of the world’s first “double Olympics city”.
On December 31, 2020 – with the last roof unit plate hoisted in place, the roof unit plate and facade curved curtain wall unit installed, the roof sealing and enclosure finished – the National Speed Skating Hall was officially unveiled.
At 13:30 p.m. a grand ceremony of “The National Speed Skating Hall Roof-Sealing and Enclosure” was held at the construction site of the project.
Attending the ceremony were:
- Wu Xiaonan, member of the Party Committee and vice President of Beijing State-owned Assets Management Co., Ltd., secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of Board of Beijing National Speed Skating Hall Management Co., Ltd,
- Chen Daihua, secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of Board of Beijing Urban Construction Group Co., Ltd.,
- Ding Jianming, Vice-Director of Beijing Major Projects Construction Headquarters Office,
- Wang Gang, secretary of the Leading Party Members’ Group of Beijing Major Projects Construction Headquarters Office,
- Liu Yuming, head of Planning Construction and Sustainability Department of The Beijing Organising Committee for the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.
The ceremony was also attended by participating units and principals of sub-supplier enterprises as well as labourers participating in the construction. Tianjin NorthGlass was awarded as excellent sub-supplier by the owner for its outstanding performance in the construction of the project.
The façade of the National Speed Skating Hall is made up of 3,360 curved glass units, each with a different curvature. At the same time, outside the curtain wall, there are 22 “ice ribbons” that hover high and low, as though floating around. Through close observation, one can also see that the transparent glass of the “ice ribbon” facade is decorated with white patterns like ice crystals, which seems to be covered with a crystal clear ice coat.
These many construction techniques and technologies, such as the façade curved curtain wall and roof cable net structure of the National Speed Skating Hall, are innovative in China.
Production and technical personnel of Tianjin NorthGlass worked day and night to successfully break through a number of technical difficulties and in early September, 60 days after receiving the order, NorthGlass successfully completed the supply of glass for the National Speed Skating Hall of the Olympic Winter Games.
The “Ice Ribbon” glass above the second floor is small radius curved arc colour-glazed laminated glass and coated tempered insulating energy-saving glass. The arc facade curtain wall is assembled by Low-E energy-saving positive and negative bending, insulating tempered glass and coated tempered insulating energy-saving glass. The three configurations of glass sheets are different in shape and form a perfect curved curtain wall system after installation.
Looking forward to the future, after the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games, the National Speed Skating Hall “Ice Ribbon” is expected to become an ice and snow sports complex, a new landmark for people to experience life in winter.
With the philosophy of “innovation is endless and hard work will win”, NorthGlass has been highly recognized by the owner and the construction party.