VELOPARK

The building seeks to form an elegant response to the brief using simple materials in an efficient manner to meet the client's aspirations within the available budget. Cycling inspired the concept for the Velodrome. The bike is an ingenious ergonomic object, honed to unrivalled efficiency; the firm pusued the same application of design creativity and engineering rigor that goes into the design and manufacture of the bike to manifest itself in the building. Not as a mimicry of the bicycle but as a three dimensional response to the functional requirements of the stadium. By applying the same thought processes and form finding approach, the aesthetics and shape of the stadium have emerged from the process. The Velodrome contains 6,000 seats in both Olympic and Legacy modes and responds to both contexts in an appropriate manner with minimal transformation. The upper and lower seating tiers are split by the main public circulation concourse which forms the main point of entry into the arena and allows spectators to maintain contact with the action on the track as they circulate around the building. The concourse is fully glazed to allow views both into and out of the building. It also helps to visually separate the Western Red Cedar clad upper bowl from the ground floor back of house accommodation which is largely hidden behind the landscaped earth berms that form a visual plinth at the East and West ends of the building. The Olympic Delivery Authority set a number of sustainability and material targets; through careful consideration and integration of the architecture, structure and building services the design has met or exceeded these requirements.