Richmond Olympic Oval Bests Bird’s Nest
12 October 2009The Richmond Olympic Oval has captured Gold in a showdown between the most acclaimed venues of the 2008 and 2010 Olympic Games.
Fast + Epp Structural Engineers received the Gold award for Sports or Leisure Structures in the prestigious Institution of Structural Engineers 2009 Structural Awards which were announced in London, England last Friday. The Oval was competing against a field of international short-listed projects, including the 2008 Olympic Games’ Beijing National Stadium (a.k.a. Bird’s Nest) and the new retractable roof at Wimbledon’s Centre Court in London, England.
“This is a tremendous honour,” said Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie. “ We set out with a vision for the Oval to be an innovative and iconic landmark and a showcase for sustainable building practises. This award is a testament to our success in achieving our goals for the Oval.”
This is the first major international award for the Richmond Olympic Oval, which is also currently short-listed for the World Architecture Festival Awards in the Structural Design category. Other awards won by the Oval include:
- Innovation in Architecture Award of Excellence from the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada,
- Institutional Design Award from the BC Wood WORKS!/Canadian Wood Council,
- Green Building Practices Award from the Globe Foundation and World Green Building Council, and
- Sustainability Star from the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC).
The Richmond Olympic Oval, designed by architectural firm Cannon Design, is a multi-purpose sports and recreation facility that will serve as the speed skating venue for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. The Oval’s one-of-a-kind 6.5 acre roof structure features hollow, triangular-shaped composite wood steel arches. Spanning the arches are “Wood Wave” panels constructed from one million feet of pine-beetle kill wood boards from the forests of British Columbia. As one of the largest timber roofs in the world, it not only represents an economical design solution, but also striking aesthetic quality and enhanced acoustic performance.
Fast + Epp also received commendation for the Richmond Olympic Oval Roof by the Institution of Structural Engineers for the David Alsop Sustainability Award for achievement in structural design, where outstanding commitment to sustainability and respect for the environment has been demonstrated.
Based in London, the Institution of Structural Engineers is the world’s largest membership organization dedicated to the art and science of structural engineering. This annual competition recognizes the work of the world’s most talented structural designers and their contribution to the built environment. It showcases projects that lead the industry’s development.
