When designing the official "skating palace" for the 2014 Winter Olympics—which start this Friday—GUP MNIIP mosproject-4 found inspiration in host city Sochi's surrounding topography. The Iceberg Skating Palace has a sweeping facade that echoes the undulations of the Black Sea and the rolling hills of the nearby mountains. The 20,917-square-meter structure, which will host the figure skating and short-track speed-skating competitions, also boasts the blue, teal, and seafoam hues used in all the branding schemes for this year's games. Because the venue must host two separate events back-to-back, GUP MNIIP had to design the facility to be super flexible. In just two hours, the ice rink can be switched to quickly accommodate either event. At night, a lighting system illuminates the exterior's blue and green facets, giving the structure the appearance of cool, shimmering iceberg. After the culminating ceremony, the venues's training rink will go to Stavropol, where it will become the inland city's new skating facility. Part of Sochi's "Coastal Cluster" of sporting venues, the 12,000-seat skating palace has already hosted two major sporting events, and has plans to ...
When designing the official "skating palace" for the 2014 Winter Olympics—which start this Friday—GUP MNIIP mosproject-4 found inspiration in host city Sochi's surrounding topography. The Iceberg Skating Palace has a sweeping facade that echoes the undulations of the Black Sea and the rolling hills of the nearby mountains. The 20,917-square-meter structure, which will host the figure skating and short-track speed-skating competitions, also boasts the blue, teal, and seafoam hues used in all the branding schemes for this year's games. Because the venue must host two separate events back-to-back, GUP MNIIP had to design the facility to be super flexible. In just two hours, the ice rink can be switched to quickly accommodate either event. At night, a lighting system illuminates the exterior's blue and green facets, giving the structure the appearance of cool, shimmering iceberg. After the culminating ceremony, the venues's training rink will go to Stavropol, where it will become the inland city's new skating facility. Part of Sochi's "Coastal Cluster" of sporting venues, the 12,000-seat skating palace has already hosted two major sporting events, and has plans to ...