On July 31, 2020, on the occasion of the 5th anniversary of Beijing’s successful bid for the 2022 Winter Olympics, BSAM joined hands with world-class curling champion Wang Bingyu to guide the public to pay a visit to Beijing National Aquatics Center, a Summer/Winter Olympic venue. In the form of live broadcast, they revealed the “Chinese Solutions to Water-Ice Transformation” and shed light on the progress in the preparations for the 2022 Winter Olympics.
(Click on the picture to watch the replay of live broadcast)
As the owner of Beijing National Aquatics Center, BSAM, as early as the 2008 Beijing Olympics cycle, BSAM fulfilled investment, construction and Games-support tasks of five major Olympic venues at a high level: Beijing National Stadium, Beijing National Aquatics Center, Beijing National Tennis Center, Hockey Field and Archery Field. In the post-Olympic era, BSAM achieves stable operation and continued prosperity of “Bird’s Nest” and “Water Cube”, thereby offering the valuable Chinese experience for solving global problems in the post-Games operation of super-large Olympic venues. BSAM devotes itself to the preparations for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics with all efforts. It not only undertakes the transformation and construction of the three major Winter Olympic venues “Bird’s Nest”, “Ice Cube” and “Ice Ribbon”, but also is assigned with the tasks of sports presentations and award ceremonies for the Winter Olympics and Paralympics, and provides a full range of services for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.
Launching Summer/Winter Olympic Venue Project, and Offering “Chinese Solutions”
In the transformation and construction process of the Winter Olympics venues, BSAM insists on putting sustainable development philosophy in the bid for the Olympic Games into practice, vigorously gropes for “Chinese Solutions” of “Repeated Utilization, Comprehensive Utilization and Sustained Utilization” for all Olympic venues, and contributes to the development of the Olympic Movement.
Under the guidance of BSAM, Beijing National Stadium plans in advance and carefully works out transformation schemes of “Bird’s Nest” venue facilities for the Winter Olympics. It can be expected that “Bird’s Nest”, which crystalizes the expectations of the Chinese people and attracts the global attentions, will once again amaze the world during the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, welcome guests all over the world, and emerge as the only one Summer/Winter Olympic venue where the opening and closing ceremonies of the Summer Olympics and the Winter Olympics are grandly held.
Beijing National Aquatics Center changes from “Water Cube” to “Ice Cube” through the innovative reconstruction scheme for “water-ice transformation”, and becomes a venue for the curling competitions of the Winter Olympics. After targeted scientific research on venue structure, temperature, humidity, lighting, acoustics and other aspects and reconstruction project for nearly a year, Beijing National Aquatics Center has built transformation foundation, icemaking system, dehumidification system, air conditioning system, sports lighting system and control system in compliance with the standards of the Winter Olympics curling events. In December 2019, Beijing National Aquatics Center completed icemaking under the “Olympic Standard” for the first time, and successfully held the first high-profile curling event in “Ice Cube”. It has become the world’s first Olympic venue achieving “Water-Ice Transformation”. In May 2020, “Ice Cube” converted back to “Water Cube”. Beijing National Aquatics Center completed full-cycle transformation of the Summer/Winter Olympics Mode for the first time. Taking this reconstruction project as a golden opportunity, “Water Cube” makes the best of scientific research innovation and new-type technology application, and develops such a brand-new total solution that combines venue function transformation, venue management mode transformation and even sustainable operation and development thinking transformation for the Olympic venue. Beijing National Aquatics Center win “the 2019 Sport and Sustainable Architecture Prize” awarded by the International Olympic Committee. Which proves international recognition at all aspects. In the future, in addition to the purpose of the Winter Olympics curling competitions, new underground ice rink in South Square of “Water Cube” will provide ice sports services for the ordinary people. “Water and Ice Two-Wheel Drive” comes true in Beijing National Aquatics Center, which integrates various types of business on water and ice in one.
Designed with “Ice” and “Speed” as design symbols, National Speed Skating Oval is the only newly-built ice competition venue for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. “Ice Ribbon” achieves innovations and breakthroughs in design concept, technical process, material selection, construction technique and other aspects, and crystalizes into “Chinese Solutions” with numerous scientific and technological highlights that can be used for reference by the international community. National Speed Skating Oval applies thorough ice-surface design. Its ice surface of 12,000 square meters ranks the first in Asia. The 198-meter-long and 124-meter-wide roofing cable net structure of National Speed Skating Oval is single-layer two-way orthogonal cable net structure with the world’s largest span. High-vanadium closed cables are used for the whole steel structure. The steel consumption of roof system is only about one-fourth of that in the traditional roofing. By setting a precedent in the history of the Olympic Games, National Speed Skating Oval adopts Carbon Dioxide Transcritical Direct Evaporation Refrigeration Icemaking System, which has become the first Winter Olympics speed skating venue with natural refrigerant carbon dioxide as a freezing medium in the world. Smart venue construction of “Ice Ribbon” will lead to sports venue construction and operation solutions which integrate the most advanced information technology, the highest-quality audience experience and the most sophisticated management. In the first half of 2020, under the guidance of BSAM, on-site construction of National Speed Skating Oval Project resumed in an orderly manner. Multi-pronged construction works for roofing, mechanical and electrical equipment installation, decoration, icemaking and other procedures steadily proceed. At present, the main structure of “Ice Ribbon” has been completed. On-site construction of Carbon Dioxide Transcritical Direct Evaporation Refrigeration Icemaking System has been in full swing.
Telling Chinese Story, and Spreading the Culture of the Winter Olympics
In October 2019, supported by BSAM, Beiao Group (a subsidiary of BSAM) was officially designated as official sports presentation and award ceremony service sponsor for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics, which has set a precedent for host country enterprise to undertake the official “Sports Presentation and Award Ceremony Services” during the Olympic Games.
Beiao Group constantly optimizes work plans, beefs up resource integration, improves service systems, and makes every effort in the preparations for video, audio, entertainment, award-presenting stage, etiquette staff, etiquette costumes, performance creativity and other aspects of sports presentations and award ceremonies , with a view to ensuring the deliverables according to high standards and top-grade criteria. Beiao Group strives to tell the Chinese story, spreads the sound of China far and near, and promotes exchange and mutual learning among civilizations on the grand arena of the Beijing Winter Olympics.
With focus on cultural dissemination of the Winter Olympics and the promotion of ice and snow sports, Beiao Group meticulously designs and launches a series of cultural and sports activities and publicity campaigns. Beiao Group joins hands with “Bird’s Nest” and “Water Cube” to hold “Meet 2022” Ice & Snow Cultural Festival, which has become the largest-scale, the highest-quality and the longest-cycle ice and snow cultural event in Beijing Olympic Center Area. This is also in echo with 2018-22 plan of the State Sports General Administration for “Mobilizing 300 Million People to Participate in Ice and Snow Sports”. The youth TV program Little Anchorperson’s Talk Show for the Winter Olympics, vigorously launched by Beiao Group, has formally gone live on Hainan Satellite TV. This program explains the relevant contents of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics through the wonderful lectures by more than 1,000 little anchorpersons aged 6-14, and arouses the flaming enthusiasms of young people to stay tuned to and participate in the Winter Olympics.
Joining Hands with Chongli Competition Area, and Advancing Coordinated Development
General Secretary Xi Jinping points out: “Successful hosting of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics is not only our solemn commitment to the International Olympic Family, but also an important measure to implement coordinated development strategy of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei”. In the year of a decisive victory in building a well-off society in an all-round way and crucial battle against poverty, BSAM takes the initiative to sign a cooperation agreement with Chongli District Government of Zhangjiakou City, Hebei Province, in an effort to jointly launch all-round cooperation under “the Winter Olympics and Poverty Alleviation”. Both parties will carry out in-depth cooperation in spreading the Winter Olympics culture, advancing the preparations for the Winter Olympics, innovating the venue operation and exploring for the Winter Olympics industry projects. It is anticipated to make progress in poverty alleviation through the Winter Olympics collaboration and quicken the pace of poverty alleviation in Chongli District.
The Winter Olympics public welfare project, entitled “Charity Action of Heart · Painting for the Winter Olympics”, planned by Beiao Group, will invite well-known artists to visit mountain areas of Chongli District and devote to cultural charity poverty alleviation campaign. Beiao Group will give painting education for local youth and children, popularize the Winter Olympic knowledge and organize other events to help the local youths say goodbye to poverty and cherish the aspirations.
Everyone should seize every minute and go all out. Yue Peng, Chairman of BSAM, stresses that BSAM will further study and implement General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important instructions on the preparations for the Beijing Winter Olympics and Paralympics, plan as a whole and do a good job in the epidemic prevention and control and the preparations for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, actively contribute to hosting of “a Wonderful, Extraordinary and Outstanding Winter Olympics”, set a good example for inheritance and innovative development of the Summer/Winter Olympic Games, and impress the world with more splendors unique to China.
