Reuse, repurpose, revitalise
Four competition venues used at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games were refurbished and upgraded to host winter sports events at Beijing 2022: the National Aquatics Centre, National Indoor Stadium, Wukesong Sports Centre, and the Capital Indoor Stadium. These four venues now offer repeated, year-round, continuous use. Another Beijing 2008 venue, the Beijing National Stadium, hosted the Opening and Closing Ceremonies at the XXIV Olympic Winter Games.
A key driver behind the reuse of venues was the IOC’s Olympic Agenda 2020, which requires host cities to keep new construction to a minimum and thus reduce carbon emissions, environmental impact, and the consumption of water, energy and materials.
Known as the Water Cube at Beijing 2008 and the Ice Cube at Beijing 2022, when it staged the curling competitions, the National Aquatics Centre is a versatile venue able to switch between swimming and ice sports. This is made possible by the installation of prefabricated steel frames and concrete support panels above the swimming pool, which are then covered with an insulation layer and a waterproof layer. The ice rinks are created on top of this layer. The whole transition process takes around 20 days, and the equipment can be reused, which reduces costs considerably.
Similarly, Wukesong Sports Centre caters for both winter and summer sports, enabling local communities to use it all year round. The venue for the basketball competitions at Beijing 2008 and one of two ice hockey venues at Beijing 2022, it hosts the former in the summer and the latter in the winter, along with short-track speed skating and figure skating. The transition from court to rink takes just six hours, thanks in part to the fact that an ice cooling system was installed at the centre when it was built for Beijing 2008. The rink-to-court process involves laying insulation on the ice and then a floor on top for basketball.
A volleyball venue at Beijing 2008, the Capital Indoor Stadium staged short-track speed skating and figure skating at Beijing 2022. Its renovation for the Olympic Winter Games involved the installation of technology that changes the temperature of the ice quickly, which allowed it to host two separate ice events and become a versatile venue. Such versatility has been of benefit in the post-Games drive to popularise ice sports in Beijing.
The National Indoor Stadium had already shown its versatility at Beijing 2008, when it staged artistic trampoline and handball, and added another string to its bow when it was fitted with two ice rinks to welcome the Ice Hockey Women’s World Championship in 2015. It staged ice hockey matches at Beijing 2022 and continues to be used for a wide range of indoor sports and cultural events.
Such flexibility is a facet of many of the Beijing 2022 venues, both new and existing, the intention being for them to serve high-performance athletes and the local population in various ways and throughout the whole year.
One of two snowboard/freestyle skiing venues at the XXIV Olympic Winter Games, Shougang Big Air is perhaps the most striking example of transformation among all the Beijing 2022 competition sites. Once a steel mill, its cooling towers and disused buildings had become an eyesore. Thanks to its regeneration, however, its industrial heritage was combined with Chinese and Olympic culture to create a dynamic sport, recreational and business hub used by athletes, local residents and companies.
The park, which attracts large numbers of visitors, also comprises short-track speed skating, figure skating, curling and ice hockey venues. These serve residents throughout the year as part of the nationwide drive to encourage people to lead active and healthy lives.