An exterior of the Peking University Gymnasium is seen in this picture taken on May 20, 2008. Its roof resembles a table tennis ball between two hyperbolic surfaces, garnering it the name of "China Ridge." [Xinhua]
The skylight of the Peking University Gymnasium is seen in this picture taken on May 20, 2008. The venue can be turned on to make sure natural lighting and natural ventilation. [Xinhua]
An exterior scene of the Peking University Gymnasium is seen in this picture taken on May 20, 2008.This gymnasium will be used for the Table Tennis events of the Beijing Olympics, the first specialized table tennis venue in Olympic history. [Xinhua]
Venue: Peking University Gymnasium
Location: Peking University
Sports: Table tennis
Permanent seats: 6,000
Temporary seats: 2,000
Post-Games function: The Gym can be utilized for a score of competitions, including table tennis, handball, basketball, badminton, and volleyball. The Gym will also meet the needs of physical education, training and recreation.
The Beijing Peking University is just 8kms away from the central Olympic village. And in 2008 it’s the home of table tennis championship -- or as the locals call it – ping pong qiao.
Located north of China's "silicon valley” the venue’s outer gray shell blends in well within the city’s modern tech center.
The nearby Zhibeizi courtyard garden and thousand-year-old trees give it that oriental flavor which visitors to the middle kingdom love.
The roof of this building is one of the most complicated Olympic construction projects. The roof resembles a ping-pong ball. It feels like a spaceship is about to land.
As ping-pong balls are very light, strict requirements have to be met, in particular with regards to wind speed. The International Table Tennis Federation demands in its rules that the wind speed must be 0.2 m/s.
Through all the many restrictions to construction, such as environmental, legal, and physical, the designer’s hard work has paid off.
The green Olympics philosophy has emphasized energy saving throughout the building.
The Peking University Gymnasium is the world’s first professional sports arena dedicated entirely to table tennis. After the Olympics, the venue will become a multipurpose arena for the citizens of Beijing.
