09 Aug 2016
Beijing to transform 2008 Olympic venues for 2022 Winter Games
BY Matthew Campelli
Beijing is preparing to transform the facilities it built for the 2008 Olympic Games to accommodate other sports ahead of the 2022 Winter Olympics.
China’s capital city will host the Games in six years time, and organisers are planning to reuse venues created for the 2008 showpiece rather than build more expensive facilities.
The Water Cube Aquatics Centre – which has been converted into a public water park since the Games – will be renovated to host the curling events, while the National Indoor Stadium, designed by the Beijing Institute of Technology Design, will stage the ice hockey tournament.
Wang Hui, Beijing 2022’s spokesperson, said that the 2008 Games left a “profound legacy” with “facilities and assets which have been operating effectively since”.
While the Water Cube has been successfully redeployed, and infrastructure such as a new airport terminal and new road and rail networks have been of benefit to Beijing, a number of the facilities, such as Herzog and de Meuron's Bird’s Nest Stadium and the rowing park and cycling track, have struggled to attract visitors and sports participants.
Beijing spent around US$2bn (£1.5bn, €1.8bn) on 31 new venues for 2008, and Hui said the reuse of these facilities was “sustainable” and “significantly cut the cost” of hosting the 2022 Winter Games.
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