by Shane Henson — October 24, 2011—London 2012’s Velodrome was recently awarded the Prime Minister’s Better Public Building Award —a prestigious accolade that recognizes the best of British design and service.
The Prime Minister’s Better Public Building Award, which has run for the past decade, recognizes new buildings, places and spaces that improve the delivery of public services, give a sense of identity and community, are a source of local pride, and help build a sustainable future.
The Velodrome was the first Olympic Park venue completed by the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) in February 2011. During the London 2012 Games, the Velodrome will host track cycling and Paralympic track cycling.
The venue design team is made up of Hopkins Architects, Expedition Engineering, and BDSP, who were appointed in 2007 following a design competition judged by leading names from the world of architecture and design as well as Olympic cyclist Sir Chris Hoy. The Velodrome was built by contractor ISG.
ODA Chairman John Armitt said, “This is a tremendous achievement for a venue that combines innovative architecture, engineering and construction into a stunning and sustainable building. Along with its striking design, the Velodrome also places sport at its heart, creating a world-class facility for the Games and for a new generation of cyclists to train and compete on in future. This is a proud moment for everyone involved in the Olympic Park and welcome recognition that the project is transforming the skyline of east London with landmark new buildings for people to enjoy for decades to come.”
The Velodrome has a host of sustainability elements that helped it secure the coveted award, some of which are:
- The building was designed to be lightweight and efficient to reflect the efficient design of a bicycle.
- The use of abundant daylight through strategically positioned rooflights reduces need for artificial lighting, and natural ventilation is achieved through openings in the external timber cladding of the venue.
- Water saving fittings and collection of rainwater for reuse in building are built into design to help reduce water consumption.
- Compact design minimizes energy consumed to heat the main arena.
- Lightweight cable-net roof structure weighs 30kg/m2 compared to 65kg/m2 for the Beijing Velodrome, helping create a highly efficient building.
- The use of abundant daylight through strategically positioned rooflights reduces need for artificial lighting, and natural ventilation is achieved through openings in the external timber cladding of the venue.
Judges picked the Velodrome out of a list of 27 projects from across the U.K., including the Olympic Stadium and the colorful Central Park Bridge that spans the River Lea between the Stadium and Aquatics Center.
