Beijing launches global architectural design contest for 2022 speed skating venue

The Beijing municipal government on Monday launched an international architectural design contest for the National Speed Skating Oval, the only new permanent venue on the Chinese capital's 2022 Winter Olympics plan.

Any legitimate architecture designers from domestic and overseas are welcome to download application forms on www.bkpmzb.com and send them to Olybj2022@bjghw.gov.cn before 6pm on June 20 Beijing time to participate in the contest, which is operated by Beijing Municipal Commission of Urban Planning, organizers said at a media briefing on Monday.

The contest will accept 12 design bids after going through the participants' qualification. All the confirmed contesters will have two and a half months to draft and finalize their designs before a judges' panel selects three winning proposals in November.

The final construction is roughly scheduled to begin next February based on the most practicable design of the three proposals, said Ma Qinghong, an official from the commission.

"Deciding the architectural scheme through an open contest is an international practice for major construction projects such as for a sports venue. We just want to make sure to collect all the best possible designs in a transparent way," said Ma.

According to the Beijing Organizing Committee of the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, the winter sporting extravaganza will be staged in three separate venue clusters in Beijing downtown, northwestern Yanqing county and nearby Zhangjiakou, in surrounding Hebei province.

Boasting rich legacy in facilities after the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics, Beijing 2022 plans only one new venue, the National Speed Skating Oval, which will be built on former site of the 2008 Olympics' field hockey and archery grounds to host long-track speed skating competitions by 2022, according to the Planning, Construction and Sustainability Department of the organizing committee.

"Reusing the ground in the Olympics Green built for the 2008 Games stays in compliance to Beijing promise to host sustainable and economic Winter Olympics," said Liu Haodong, an official from the planning, construction and sustainability department.

Liu also unveiled that the new venue will be transformed through a multi-function plan to be able to host commercial events, entertainment shows and mass exercise events in addition to staging international skating competitions to be fully utilized after the Olympics.