On 12 February 2010, the 21st Olympic Games will commence in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. And over the next year, teams throughout the city and surrounding areas will be working overtime to get ready to host the more than 5,500 athletes set to take to the ice and snow.
In PMI’s yearlong series, Project to Watch: 2010 Olympic Winter Games, we will follow the final preparations through interviews with project team members, photo slideshows and venue spotlights.
Look for coverage on PMI.org, Voices on Project Management blog and in PM Network.
In our first story of the series, we focus the construction of one of the major venues for the games: the Richmond Olympic Oval.
The Richmond Oval
Minutes from the Vancouver airport in the host city of Richmond, British Columbia, Canada, the Richmond Olympic Oval sits ready for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.
The CAD$178 million project had its first major test in October when it was first opened to media and professional athletes. The facility will house a 400-meter (1,312-foot) speed-skating track, seat approximately 8,000 spectators and host up to 12 medal events.
The reviews were glowing. But the true test of success will come after the games end.
“Probably the most important part was understanding what works and doesn’t … in the world of Olympic ovals. We had to do quite a bit of research to learn what these types of venues were being successfully used for after the games,” says Greg Scott, director, major projects office, City of Richmond.
It took about a year to create a post-games program for the facility. It will be used as a high-performance sports and community wellness centre.
Design and construction plans for the venue differ a little from predecessors’.
“Most ovals are inward looking. In our particular case, we have both beautiful architecture looking in and out,” says Mr. Scott.
Richmond’s culture of sustainability also surfaces in this building, designed to qualify for the Canadian Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver certification.
The ceiling features salvaged pine-beetle-killed wood and is one of the largest surfaces ever covered in this wood, which would otherwise be left in the forest to decompose. The building also incorporates timber that was harvested from the construction site.
Rainwater will be collected for use in irrigation and toilet fixtures.
Perhaps the biggest challenge for Mr. Scott and his team was educating Richmond citizens about long-track speed skating, a sport relatively unknown in British Columbia.
By hosting an array of pre-Olympic events, like the Essent ISU World Single Speed Skating Championships in March 2009, the city will generate interest in the Oval, illustrated by daily tour requests from the public.
“There is an overwhelming interest in the project. The architecture and use of the Oval as been embraced by the public and Richmond has delivered what they set out to do,” he says.
