Richmond Olympic Oval
Richmond, BC
Public Space
The Richmond Oval was the venue that held the speed skating events and the official anti-doping lab during the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games. It is a 33,750-m² facility, including a 20,000 m² main floor that includes a 400 m refrigerated track. It is built on a location beside the Fraser River and is the first Olympic venue that visitors can see as they fly into Vancouver.
Because of its size and specialty in high performance sports, the Oval is the ideal location for National Training Centres and International World Championship level competitions.
The Oval is currently a multi-use sport facility with two Olympic-sized ice rinks, hardwood ball-sport courts, a gymnasium, a 200 m track, a rubberized turf area, and a high performance centre for elite athletes. It is geared towards community sports and individual fitness as well.
The Oval has been designed to meet the needs of disabled and able-bodied individuals. For example, it has cardio and strength equipment from Technogym, which are for people who have cognitive, sensory or physical impairments.
The Oval uses "green" technologies. It is qualified for the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Scale (LEED) Silver certification. For example, the Oval's refrigeration plant heats other building areas through the utilization of waste heat from cooling the ice surface.
The Oval is working toward being a place for community sport, health and fitness. They have usage agreements with several community sport organizations including Richmond Arenas Community Association (RACA), Urban Rec, and the Adult Safe Hockey League. Because the Oval was home to the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, it inspires individuals to progress towards their own dreams.
The Richmond Olympic Oval Community Legacy Program provides sport, health and fitness activities, skill development pathways and role-model leadership to all individuals regardless of age or skill level. This contributes to the improved health and wellness of the community.
The Oval's roof is similar to the native shape of the heron's wing for the purpose of making tribute to the Salish First Nation and the large wading bird that lived with the people at first European contact 230 years ago.
The roof is one of the longest clear spans in North America and is made of one million board feet of BC pine-beetle kill wood linked together. These wood panels were designed by structural engineers Fast + Epp and constructed at the design build firm StructureCraft Builders Inc. in Delta, B.C
Artist Janet Echelman designed the sculptural environment that consists of a pond filled with water that is collected from rainwater falling on the roof, which will serve as a gathering space and water supply for irrigating surrounding landscapes, and for flushing toilets. A fountain that was part of the public art program, included pieces from Musqueam artist, Susan Point; those pieces re-oxygenate the pond.
