Beijing, January 19 news of the Central Broadcasting Network, the stars and the moon shine, 3360 pieces of curved glass surround the National Speed Skating Hall, transformed into an ice crystal clear ribbon, dancing on the land of Shenzhou. In a few days, a grand event will be held here, where Olympic athletes from all over the world will gather, sweat their sweat and write their legends.
The venue designer who built this "brilliant stage" for them is Zheng Fang, as the chief designer of the "Ice Ribbon" of the National Speed Skating Hall of the Beijing Winter Olympics and the "Ice Cube" of the National Aquatics Center Curling Arena, Zheng Fang has been serving the Olympic Games since 2003. In the past two decades, whether it is the "Water Cube" in 2008 or the "Ice Ribbon" today, these buildings representing the most beautiful landmarks in Beijing are from Zheng Fang, who has presided over the architectural design of 7 competition venues in the Beijing Olympic Games and the Winter Olympic Games.
"I've been extremely fortunate to be able to serve two Olympic Games." Zheng Fang told reporters, "As the first 'double Olympic city' in history, Beijing has the opportunity of history and the times, so that I and many of my peers, including design, construction, operation, engineering, etc., can contribute labor and wisdom, and I think we should all be grateful for this era." ”
Zheng Fang was interviewed (Photo by Huang Yuling, a reporter of the Central Broadcasting Network)
Digital design weave "ice ribbon"
In Zheng Fang's mind, it is most appropriate to use the four words of "technology, wisdom, green, and thrift" to summarize the "ice ribbon". In his view, the use of curved "ice" to make a ribbon contains a deep thinking about nature and the wisdom of rigidity and softness. "It started out as a very vague idea, a transparent [ice-like building] that could also be curved, with a sense of speed." Zheng Fang said, "In my initial imagination of the architectural effect, it was transparent, simple and light, but at the same time the technical challenges were also huge. ”
Needing to be as transparent as ice, Zheng Fang first considered the ultra-white glass that most resembled ice. However, the glass commonly used in buildings is flat, and the process is very complicated to make it curved. There are also architects in the design team who oppose curved glass, suggesting the use of conventional processes or the replacement of materials. But Zheng Fang is very insistent on this, he believes that this is a building about ice, ultra-white glass is closest to the texture of ice, irreplaceable, and consistent with the style of rigidity and softness. At the beginning of 2017, the research team tested different bending radii on the production line to study the yield, visual quality and process feasibility of the factory. It was like a marathon race in the track designed by scientific research, no matter how hard it was, they had to grit their teeth and persevere, and finally Zheng Fang found a way to unify the process, performance and effect.
Curved glass curtain wall seen inside the "Ice Ribbon" (courtesy of the interviewee)
The curtain wall of the "Ice Ribbon" is composed of 3360 glass units, and the geometrically optimized surface, whether it is an inward or outward curvature, adopts the same radius of curvature, and less than 50% of the curved units still maintain the effect of dynamic freedom. "From a vague goal to a real building, the process slowly unfolds like film." Zheng Fang said.
In the five years from the first handmade sketch in 2016 to the completion of the "Ice Ribbon", the design and scientific research team has been adhering to the concept of "green Olympic Games". Zheng Fang took the refrigerator as an example, the "ice ribbon" competition hall is like a large refrigerator, which has a very large area of ice. "We must make the volume of this refrigerator smaller, in order to reduce the load of air conditioning, dehumidification, etc., and save electricity." In addition, the "ice ribbon" also adopts advanced carbon dioxide transcritical direct cold ice making technology, the ice surface is paved with 100 kilometers long seamless stainless steel pipe, and the transcritical carbon dioxide flowing in the steel pipe can ensure that the temperature difference of the ice surface does not exceed 0.5 °C. The smaller the temperature difference, the flatter the ice surface, the more uniform the hardness, and the more conducive to the competition.
Ice rink in the "Ice Ribbon" arena (Photo courtesy of the interviewee)
As the only new venue for the Winter Olympics, the "Ice Ribbon" will undertake the competition of speed skating events, producing 14 gold medals, and it is also the single venue with the largest number of gold medals in the Winter Olympics. The venue was once a hockey stadium and archery range temporarily built for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, and these two temporary venues were also designed by Zheng Fang. "The two venues were originally planned to be demolished after the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, and their design mission was to serve the Olympics in the most frugal way possible," Zheng said. When the National Speed Skating Hall Design Competition began in July 2016, when all the participating architects gathered at the Olympic Tower to see the venues, the two venues had not yet been demolished. I thought I knew this place best, so I had a strong desire to do another design here. ”
The Winter Olympics will make the Water Cube smarter
The Water Cube was a water sports venue designed for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, where the Chinese diving team won seven gold medals. Olympic athletes from all over the world broke 21 world records here and were called "the fastest swimming pool". The "Water Cube" has now become a famous landmark in Beijing. At the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, based on the concept of sustainable use, the "Water Cube" was transformed into the "Ice Cube".
Compared with the reconstruction of the "Ice Ribbon", the on-site transformation of the "Ice Cube" is not an easy task, but it is challenging. It is not only necessary to carry out the transformation project of "Ice Cube" at the same time as the construction of the "Ice Ribbon". Most importantly, in Zheng Fang's heart, "Water Cube" represents too much, here are his memories of hard work, there are wonderful team breakthroughs and innovations, and there is also his satisfaction when witnessing the legend of the arena. There are too many memories in it, and if it is really like the ordinary curling field, the "fastest swimming pool" is permanently transformed and disappeared, and the whole team is unacceptable.
In order to retain the soul of the "Water Cube" building, Zheng Fang and many scientists have worked together to realize the "Water Cube" and "Ice Cube" of the free conversion of summer and winter scenes through innovative means, using a movable and disassembled ice making system and an adjustable environment, and behind the "water ice conversion" is the innovative application of technologies such as convertible venues, detachable ice systems, convertible environments and smart venues. The Ice Cube thus became the first "double Olympic" venue in history where both water and ice sports could operate.
Zheng Fang said, "When the 'Water Cube' was built in 2008, the most advanced engineering technology at that time was used; and now in 2022, the construction industry on the mainland has made great progress, and the Winter Olympics can continue to promote the development of our advanced technology." Judging from this process, the Winter Olympics will make the 'Water Cube' smarter. ”
The Olympics have changed each of us
After two Olympic Games, Zheng Fang has presided over the design of Olympic venues since 2003 for nearly 20 years, as an Olympic person serving the "Double Olympics", Zheng Fang's biggest feeling is the transformation of Beijing from the original large number of new buildings to today's connotative high-quality development. At this Winter Olympics, four of the five ice venues in Beijing are venues for the 2008 Summer Olympics. Zheng Fang said: "It plays a role in promoting ice and snow sports and sustainable development, and the impact on the environment is minimized, which is a change in concept." ”
Zheng Fang at the construction site of "ice ribbon" (photo courtesy of the interviewee)
"The Olympics have changed each and every one of us." Zheng Fang deeply felt that more and more people were participating in ice and snow sports. "Ice Ribbon" at the beginning of the design considered the problem of post-competition utilization, "'Ice Ribbon' is designed according to the service life of 100 years, will be fully open to the public, then also hope that everyone can find their favorite place in this building." ”
When it came to this, Zheng Fang's face was full of smiles. He said he still remembered a run in the Olympic Forest Park, the sky was full of lights, he stopped and saw many people taking photos with the "ice ribbon", and he felt extremely proud at that moment.
"As an architect, it is the glory of my life to have the honor of designing these Olympic venues, to paint a brilliant picture and create a beautiful scene for this 'City of The Two Olympics' where thousands of people live and love." Zheng Fang said.
Director system: Zhang Jun Yu Feng
Producer: Wang Wei, Zhao Jing
Reporter: Huang Yuling
Design: Liu Qiyang
Source: CCTV