Olympic Architecture Part 4 : Peking University Gymnasium

calkins

August 05, 2008, 07:07 PM posted in General Discussion

Peking University Gymnasium
北京大学健身房
Běijīng Dàxué Jiànshēnfáng

(Photos, video, and info. below)

 

 

Peking University Gymnasium is an indoor venue, developed for holding table tennis competition. Table tennis is 乒乓球 pīngpāngqiú. Peking University Gymnasium is the world's first sports venue designed and built specifically for table tennis competitions.

Seating Capacity
The gymnasium has the seating capacity of 8,000 people. Of these, 6000 seats are permanent while the rest are temporary.

Architecture
The roof of the gymnasium, resembling a ping pong or table tennis ball, is one of the most complicated Olympic construction projects. It seems like a spaceship is about to land. The venue's outer gray shell blends in well with Beijing's Silicon Valley. As tennis balls are very light, strict requirements have been met, in particular with regards to wind speed. The air-conditioning system of the gymnasium releases air no faster than 0.2 m/sec, fulfilling the requirement. The gymnasium's double-layer metal surface is waterproof and heat insulating. It also eliminates noise from rainfall, and the walls are capable of absorbing sounds. The spectator seats have air replacement vents installed underneath, which lessens the dependence on air conditioning.

 

2 more days!!