The new Olympic Velodrome building set its first record long before the start of the 2012 Summer Games: it is officially recognized as the fastest-built Olympic venue in London. Work on the construction site began in March 2009, and in less than two years it was fully erected and put into operation - as much as 18 months before the start of the Games!
However, the uniqueness of the building of the velodrome is not limited to this. Its cable-stayed roof weighs half as much as similar structures of other largest velodromes in the world, and only "green" materials (for example, giant thuja wood) are used in the cladding of the building. The cycle track itself is lined with small rectangular panels of Siberian cedar, which is not only one of the most environmentally friendly materials in the world and boasts exceptional durability, but also provides the required speed.
Externally, the building resembles a Mobius strip realized in volume - this effect is achieved by the construction of the roof, whose edges soar upward following the ascents of the cycle track itself. This solution allowed the architects to place two tiers of spectator stands in the building - they are separated from each other by a ribbon of windows that fill the complex with a sufficient amount of daylight. The twisted parabolic shape of the roof also acts as a giant bowl to collect rainwater, which is then purified and used for the building's needs.
At the same time, the Olympic Velodrome will be able to accommodate 6,000 people. After the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the complex will be supplemented with a mountain biking and road racing track, which will make it a training place not only for professional athletes, but also for amateur cyclists, which means it will turn into a constantly demanded object of the city's sports infrastructure.
A. M.
