Zheng Fang, a first-class registered architect and the chief designer of the "Ice Ribbon" and "Ice Cube" of the Beijing Winter Olympics venues. Photo by Beijing News reporter Guo Yanbing.
Profile: Zheng Fang.
Ice Ribbon" and "Ice Cube" design director.
He is a first-class registered architect, a professor of Beijing Jiaotong University, and the former deputy chief architect of Beijing Architectural Design and Research Institute.
Zheng Fang is the chief designer of the curling venue of the National Speed Skating Hall (Ice Ribbon) and the National Aquatics Center (Ice Cube) for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. He has presided over the design of five competition venues, including the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games National Aquatics Center (Water Cube) and the National Tennis Center.
In Beijing, there are many large and small Olympic venues, which used to be a stage for Olympic athletes to sweat and struggle, and now they have become a check-in point for citizens and tourists to exercise and relax. Over the past decade, Beijing's urban planning and construction have changed with each passing day, and the continuous operation and comprehensive utilization of Olympic venues have become an important part of the renewal of the "Double Olympic City".
This year is the 10th anniversary of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important speech on February 26. Since the successful bid for the Winter Olympics, the general secretary has inspected the preparations for the Beijing Winter Olympics and Winter Paralympics five times, and put forward clear requirements for the design and construction of venues, especially emphasizing that the construction of venues should highlight the characteristics of science and technology, wisdom, green and thrift.
Ice Ribbon and Ice Cube, these landmark buildings on Beijing's central axis, are designed by architect Zheng Fang and his scientific research and design team. From 2003 to the present, Zheng Fang has presided over the architectural design of seven competition venues for the two Olympic Games in Beijing. In his view, designing the stadiums for the Olympic Games is to design "the most advanced super building", and the most predictive choice is to create an open framework that leaves room for the future.
On the way to study, I slowly understood that architecture should answer the "questions of the times".
In 1988, Zheng Fang was admitted to Tongji University, which is well-known in architecture. Like many middle school students, Zheng Fang only really understood what his future major would be after entering university.
To become an architect, you need to learn a wide range of knowledge, from geometry, fine arts, and engineering techniques to architectural physics and architectural history. "An architect is a 'jack of all trades'. Zheng Fang believes that design is a process of "starting from nothing". "From an empty site to a building, there are many disciplines to coordinate and arrange structures and equipment into the building space. Architects need to be aware of the body of knowledge of each discipline. ”
On the way to study, Zheng Fang slowly understood the core of design and creation - in addition to the necessary functions of architecture, architects must also have a firm belief that architecture must answer the "questions of the times".
In 1996, Zheng Fang graduated from Tsinghua University with a master's degree and came to work in Tsinghua Design Institute. Here, he followed Mr. Zhuang Weimin to participate in the design of the Tsinghua University Sports Center. "The space created by each gymnasium is huge, and it's all super engineering in a sense. From the academy to the construction site, he began to learn and study the technically complex long-span space in the design, which laid the foundation for the design of super buildings such as the Olympic venues.
Later, Zheng Fang studied for a doctorate under Zhuang Weimin and continued his studies in the field of large-span space architecture. When he graduated in 2014, the doctoral degree conferment ceremony was held at the Tsinghua University Sports Center, which he co-designed.
In 2003, Zheng Fang began to preside over the design of the venues for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. He presided over the design of five competition venues, including the National Aquatics Center (Water Cube) and the National Tennis Center, and successfully completed the renovation of the venues after the competition.
On February 2, 2024, Zheng Fang sat in the audience of the "Ice Ribbon" of the National Speed Skating Stadium, looking at the Olympic venue that he once presided over and designed. Photo by Beijing News reporter Guo Yanbing.
The Olympic venues are the most complex project I have ever designed."
The Olympic venues are one of the most complex projects I've ever designed in my career. Zheng Fang said that from the perspective of architecture, the architectural effect, structure, curtain wall, mechanical and electrical, acoustics, temperature, and light environment must all be considered, which contains many innovative technical challenges.
Zheng Fang said that if the construction of stadiums is a "super project", then designing the stadiums for the Olympic Games is designing "the most advanced super building".
To design and build an Olympic venue "from scratch", the architect should integrate the sports function, operation during the games, and post-competition utilization of the venue. "I spend a lot of time with my colleagues doing research on computer models to find the most suitable design state. In order to find the "suitable digital model" in his eyes, the deepening and modification of all engineering disciplines often requires repeated coordination and demonstration by architects.
The diversity of people participating in the Olympic Games determines the complexity of the operation of the Olympic venues during the Games - to create the best experience for spectators, athletes, and users. "Every host city is constantly adjusting its venue needs when it comes to hosting the Olympic Games. Zheng Fang said.
On July 22, 2016, the international competition for the architectural concept of the National Speed Skating Stadium began. After competition, the "Ice Ribbon" design scheme won. Experts believe that the building façade of the "Ice Ribbon" has smooth lines and dynamic shapes, reflecting the speed and passion of ice sports.
The night view of the "Ice Ribbon" of the National Speed Skating Stadium has smooth lines and dynamic shapes. Figure ic photo
Save energy and reduce consumption, and create an "ice ribbon" dynamic roof.
The design of "Ice Ribbon" is full of green and low-carbon comprehensive considerations. "The design of the Winter Olympic venues is a reflection of our attitude towards environmental issues in the new era. In Zheng Fang's view, this is not only the requirement of the current era, but also a future-oriented design method.
Ice Ribbon's competition hall is like a refrigerator with a very large piece of ice in it. Make the size of the refrigerator that holds this ice a little smaller so that you can save electricity. Therefore, the architect wanted to make the "refrigerator" as small as possible.
The ice rink area of the "Ice Ribbon" is about 1With 20,000 square meters, it is one of the largest artificial ice rinks in the world. In order to reduce the volume of the competition hall and reduce the load of air conditioning and dehumidification, the roof of the "Ice Ribbon" is designed in the shape of a hyperbolic paraboloid that curves downward, so that the space above the ice will be smaller. The roof is high on both sides and curved down in the middle, resembling a giant potato chip.
Interior view of the "Ice Ribbon" of the National Speed Skating Hall, with an ice rink area of about 120,000 square meters. Figure ic photo
In the selection of structural materials, the downward curved roof is the most effective shape for the steel cable to be stressed. "The principle is very simple, the steel cable will naturally sag and bend due to its own gravity, and it is the most efficient to form a curved and tensioned roof. Zheng Fang explained.
This hyperboloid saddle-shaped single-layer cable net roof design uses about 27 kg of steel per square meter of cable net roof, which is only a quarter of the amount of steel used in the traditional steel truss structure roof, which greatly saves materials and thus reduces the carbon emissions of the stadium construction.
Although the principle of free suspension of steel cable sounds simple, it is necessary to find the surface equation that is both dynamic and beautiful, and mechanically efficient. The shape of the "Ice Ribbon" roof is determined after complex modeling, numerical simulation, experiments and calculations, which should not only look good and meet the requirements of the space used inside the ice rink, but also use the least amount of steel to maximize the performance.
The "Ice Ribbon" adopts a compact space, a lightweight cable net structure, a carbon dioxide natural working fluid ice-making process, and a mechanical and electrical system design with natural lighting and energy-saving operation, which form a complete "sustainable" technology system.
Leave space for the future of the venue to achieve repeated, comprehensive and long-lasting use.
Together for the future' is the slogan of the Winter Olympics. Sustainability is at the heart of our Olympic venues. Zheng Fang believes that sustainability first means the continuous operation of the venue after the competition, which is a fundamental test of the architectural design.
Urban life is changing rapidly, and it is impossible to foresee the full future use of the venue at the beginning of the design. "At this time, adopting the concept of 'universal space' to design, creating an open framework and leaving room for the future is precisely the most predictive choice. Zheng Fang said.
The National Speed Skating Hall "Ice Ribbon" is exactly that. Its ice rink area is about 1At 20,000 square meters, it is the largest single indoor general purpose space in the Olympic Park. "In such a large space, it can accommodate a variety of imaginative use scenarios. Zheng Fang told reporters that on the roof of the competition hall, hooks are reserved at the intersection nodes of each steel cable, which can be used to hang equipment during performances and activities. There are many more small details like this in the venue, which are reserved for post-match use.
In July 2022, the "Ice Ribbon" was officially opened to the public, and the "fastest ice" and "mass ice" of the Beijing Winter Olympics began to switch seamlessly. Now, more than two years have passed since Beijing successfully hosted the Winter Olympics, and the venues are fully open to the public, and major competitions and events such as the ISU World Cup and the New Year's Gala have been held.
On February 12, 2024, during the Spring Festival of the Year of the Dragon, tourists skate in the "Ice Ribbon" of the National Speed Skating Hall to experience the charm of ice and snow sports. Figure ic photo
"Ice Ribbon" uses carbon dioxide transcritical direct cooling ice-making technology to create a low-carbon and flat ice surface. Athletes set the Olympic record for the most at low altitudes here, making it the "fastest ice". After the Beijing Winter Olympics and Winter Paralympics, the "Ice Ribbon" carried out multi-scene operations to carry out mass ice sports, competitions and large-scale activities such as ice hockey, speed skating, figure skating, curling, etc., realizing the requirements of "repeated use, comprehensive utilization and lasting use" put forward by the general secretary.
So far, the popularity of "Ice Ribbon" has been high and it is getting busier and busier. During this year's Spring Festival holiday alone, tens of thousands of visitors and skating enthusiasts were received.
Beijing News reporter Wu Wei.
Edited by Liu Mengjie.
Proofread by Zhao Lin.