Designer Circuit – The Olympic Velodrome
Images of the Olympic Velodrome make you feel good. It is smooth, it is wooden. It gently sweeps upwards against a backdrop of landscaped lawns and trees. The exterior contours of the building complement the contours of the track inside in geometrical harmony. You can almost hear the hum and swish of pedals turning and cyclists flashing by when you look at the track.
It was built not just with the technical and practical requirements for state-of-the-art international cycling in mind, but also with beauty, innovation and sustainability. This has led to its recent nomination for the Design Awards, organized by the Design Museum. The Olympics in 2012 sails in with ease into the list of contenders with two entries. The Velodrome’s nomination for the architecture category has helped put 2012 firmly on the architectural and design map. The winner will be announced on 24 April.
*Sustainability and innovation*
The project was the first Olympic structure to be completed and was done so on budget and on time about a year ago. Hopkins Architects were behind the Velodrome. They said they sought to use “simple materials in an efficient manner” to develop a structure that would respond to, though not mimic, the design efficiency of the bicycle itself. Beijing Olympic cycling champion Sir Chris Hoy was also involved in the design consultation.
The innovation can be seen in the use of natural lighting and sustainable materials. Western Red Cedar was used for the exterior cladding, which nods to the contours of the Siberian pine track inside. The Velodrome harnesses natural light to its greatest advantage; windows all the way around the concourse minimize the need for additional electrical lighting – and allow for people outside to peep in and see the events. Even the air conditioning system is 100 per cent natural.
Sustainability after the Olympics is also guaranteed. The Velodrome will not just be a hollow shell heading for eventual demolition but will be redesigned into a ‘VeloPark’. A new mountain bike course, a road-cycle circuit, café, bike hire and workshop aim to make it a center for use by the local community and professional athletes. Not bad for a space that was once a landfill site.
The Velodrome is located inside the Olympic Park in Stratford. Like other Design Award nominations in the Architecture category, a model of it is on show at an exhibition at the Design Museum till 4 July. Other contenders
include the Guangzhou Opera House in China, Butaro Hospital in Rwanda and a Spaceport America in New Mexico. Another contender far closer to Stratford is Folly For a Home; a temporary art space located under the flyover where
Article written by Jessica Line.She is a freelance writer from England.
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