London 2012 Velodrome

Project Description

The Velodrome, one of the ‘big five’ venues of the London 2012 Olympics, was also designed for legacy use. One of the key challenges posed to the engineers of systems and environmental performance was to contribute to the design of the fastest track in the world providing stable and slightly higher temperatures for the cyclists, whilst keeping spectators comfortable throughout the year. Both passive and active systems had to meet strict environmental conditions required by the cyclists, considering the requirement of high temperatures (24-28°C) to go faster on the track to achieve record breaking times.

To comply with these purposes, our strategy to design a heating system composed of three main elements: 1) underfloor heating in the infield providing background heating for most of the time; 2) under seat heated air supply providing extra heating and fresh air; 3) jetted heated air supply to allow quick conditioning of the arena. Energy efficient artificial lighting linked to an intelligent control system can be used to provide elevated lighting levels for major events.

The assessment of the overall energy performance of the building showed results that surpass the target set out by the ODA, reaching a 30% reduction in carbon emissions in relation to Part L 2006.

Share