National Speed Skating Oval, also known as “Ice Ribbon”, was the venue for the speed skating events during the Winter Olympics Beijing 2022. As a landmark venue for the Winter Olympics Beijing 2022, National Speed Skating Oval, the National Stadium (“Bird’s Nest”) and National Aquatics Center (“Water Cube”) jointly constitute a landmark architectural complex of Beijing, a City of Dual Olympics.
PPP mode is applied for investment, construction and operation of National Speed Skating Oval . On behalf of government contributors, BSAM, together with the consortium led by Beijing Capital Development Holding (Group) Co., Ltd, pooled the valuable experience and advantages of Beijing Urban Construction Group, Beijing Uni-construction Group, China National Sports Group and other enterprises, and jointly established National Speed Skating Oval Management Co., Ltd in February 2018, thereby unveiling “Ice Ribbon” with all-out efforts.
With its novel design and unique shape, National Speed Skating Oval crystalizes a lot of innovations and breakthroughs in design concepts, technical processes, material selection, construction techniques and other aspects, setting a good example of “Chinese Solutions” to the construction of Olympic venues through Chinese design, Chinese technology, Chinese material and Chinese manufacturing. It is designed with both “ice” and “speed” as symbols, where transparent façade, composed of 3,360 curved and flat glass, looks crystal clear. 22 “ribbons” gently float in the air, symbolizing the fast speed of ice sports and the Winter Olympics Beijing 2022. The roofing cable net structure of National Speed Skating Oval is made of high-vanadium closed cables made in China, which is the largest cable net stadium roofing in the world. The steel structure project of National Speed Skating Oval won the 13th “China Steel Structure Gold Award” and “Outstanding Project Award of the Year in China Steel Structure Gold Award”. In 2022, it won “Luban Award of China Construction Engineering”, the highest honor for engineering quality in Chinese construction industry. National Speed Skating Oval has construction area of 97,000 square meters, 12,000 designed seats and ice surface area of 12,000 square meters, which boasts the largest all-ice surface design in Asia. In terms of ice making technology, National Speed Skating Oval applies a CO2 transcritical direct cooling ice-making system, which is the first speed skating venue equipped with CO₂ direct evaporation refrigeration in line with the Winter Olympic standards. National Speed Skating Oval rolls out “the most environmentally friendly ice” and “the fastest ice”.
During the Winter Olympics Beijing 2022, athletes from various countries broke a total of ten Olympic records in National Speed Skating Oval, including one world record, making Beijing Winter Olympics tied with the Winter Olympics Salt Lake City 2002 in the quantity of new speed skating Olympic records.
After the Winter Olympics Beijing 2022, National Speed Skating Oval continuously upholds the concept of comprehensive utilization and low-carbon use, dedicates to sports events, mass fitness, cultural leisure, exhibition, social welfare and other functions, integrates more Chinese elements into the operation and management, and strives to emerge as important window to radiate the unique charm of Chinese culture and wonderful epitome for the leapfrog development of winter sports in China.
