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RICHMOND – One of the 2010 Olympics’ most prominent buildings will feature an innovative design made from B.C. wood.
The Province has announced that the roof of the Richmond Oval will feature a one-of-a-kind wave design, featuring arched trusses and rafters, and a curvature in the surface panels that will give the roof a rippled appearance. The Richmond Oval, home of speed skating for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, will be the first building in the world to include a roof of this design built exclusively from wood.
“With B.C. wood and B.C. innovation we can do almost anything and the Olympics are the perfect opportunity to show off that creativity and ingenuity,” said Forests and Range Minister Rich Coleman. “The Oval will be a highly visible facility giving us the opportunity to market B.C. wood products to a worldwide audience.”
The Province has made a commitment to use the 2010 Olympics as a showcase for B.C wood and wood products, and Coleman said that the lumber used for the Oval roof would include a significant proportion of pine beetle wood.
“B.C.-Canada Place in Torino showed us how one building can draw attention to all that B.C. has to offer,” said Olga Ilich, Minister of Tourism, Sport and the Arts and MLA for Richmond Centre. “Our venues will encourage visitors to return to our province long after the Games are over.”
Forestry Innovation Investment Ltd. is contributing $1.5 million towards the engineering and design of the roof. The 33,000 square-metre Oval is scheduled to open in summer 2008, with a 400-metre track and seating for approximately 8,000 spectators. In addition to being the home of speed skating competitions during the Olympics, the City of Richmond expects the Oval to be an international centre of excellence for sports and wellness, and a venue for special events.
“The City of Richmond is pleased to have the support of the Province, and we look forward to seeing our vision for the Oval become a reality when it opens in 2008,” said Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie. “The wood design is not only unique, it is also preferable to steel in many ways, including superior acoustics and sustainability.”
About one million board feet of primarily pine beetle lumber will cover the 6.5 acres of the Oval’s roof area and an additional 19,000 sheets of 4x8 plywood will provide the roof surface.
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For high resolution photos and video of the roof design, visit: www.for.gov.bc.ca/pab/media/coleman/2006/oval/
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contact: |
Public Affairs Officer Ministry of Forests and Range 250 920-6026 |
Sr. Manager, Corporate Communications City of Richmond 604 276-4399 |
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For more information on government services or to subscribe to the Province’s news feeds using RSS, visit the Province’s website at www.gov.bc.ca. |
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