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Richmond Olympic Oval

Events: Long Track Speed Skating

Venue Capacity: 7,600
Cost: $178 million ($63,260,000 contributed by VANOC)

Status: New

Opened: December 12, 2008 (Construction began September 2005)

Elevation: Sea level

Distance: 15km from Vancouver Athletes' Village

The Richmond Olympic Oval will be the host venue for all long track speed skating at the 2010 Games and has been called the "signature venue of the 2010 Games" by VANOC CEO John Furlong. There will be 36 medals awarded for 12 long track speed skating events at the Richmond Olympic Oval in 2010.

The venue is located in Richmond on the banks of the Fraser River, across from the Vancouver International Airport and 14km south of downtown Vancouver. For many people arriving in Vancouver by air, it will be the first venue they will see as they come in to land.

Watch this time-lapse video on the making of the Richmond Oval

The 33,750 square-metre facility, large enough to park four jetliners wingtip to wingtip on the venue's main floor, will house a 400m long track speed skating track and state-of-the-art ice plant. The project, which also includes a new waterfront plaza park and parkade, was budgeted for $178 million CAD. The Oval is a leader in eco-friendly amenities and features. The multi-purpose waterfront facility upholds rigorous standards for green building development. It was designed to qualify for Silver certification on the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Scale (LEED). The LEED rating system emerged from the U.S. as a method to recognize leading edge buildings which use energy and other resources efficiently, minimize waste and result in high quality indoor environments. Energy efficient measures are being taken with the Oval's refrigeration plant, transferring extra heat energy out of the water and using it elsewhere in the building.

The roof design will capture rain water and use some of it to supplement the flushing of toilets as well as make ice. The rest will be directed into a pond outside the Oval that will serve as a gathering space and water supply for irrigating surrounding landscapes. A fountain designed as part of the public art program will re-oxygenate the pond. The pond will also include marsh plant material to act as a natural purifier and improve existing water quality. The storm water will also incorporate a public art project that was created by local Musqueam artist, Susan Point, one of a few contributions to the project on the part of the First Nations.

The unique "wood wave" 6.5 acre roof is made up of more than one million board feet of pine beetle-damaged British Columbia lumber. There are 19,000 sheets of 4x8 plywood used to cover the Oval roof surface. Other timber used in the venue's finishings came from trees felled to accommodate the venue.

After the Games, the Oval is being converted into a community recreational facility for sports and wellness. It will have room for two Olympic-sized ice sheets, eight full-sized basketball courts, and an indoor 200m running track as well as a 60m sprint track with infield space for additional indoor athletics. There will be several fitness areas, including a high-performance facility for elite athletes. An additional 2,000 square-metre fitness centre open to the public will be available. The facility will be left to the City of Richmond after the Olympic Games as a legacy project. The facility will be a centrepiece of a new urban waterfront neighbourhood featuring a mix of residential, commercial and public amenity development.

Figures

Venue architect: Canon Designs