DAVID S INGALLS SKATING RINK

Different forms and shapes for ice rinks started to appear and one of the classical and famous stadiums for ice hockey, representing lightness and simplicity is David S Ingalls Skating Rink by Architect Eero Saarinen. Such stadium was characterized by its curvilinear shaped roof, similar to a whale. It was built in 1958 in the United States as well. The innovative structural composition of the roof was composed of a 90 meter reinforced concrete arch with cable net is strung from. Covering such structure, timber woods were used a finishing material, adding luxury and charm for the design in which it can be seen and reflected from the exterior and the interior as well. This results in a stable double-curvature shape. During the structural design process, external wires connecting the arch to the roof’s outer borders were installed.

Such a stadium, erected 30 years later, may clearly exhibit the progression of forms and materials, with the unpainted concrete of the main building contrasting well with the color and texture of the oak roof. The main entrance’s glass curtain wall adds a stunning contrast to the materials.

Although the rink is in rectangular form and tilted edges, the arena’s roof took the project to new heights, setting new landmarks and design ideas for future stadiums. The arch-shaped roof demonstrated how high heights can be achieved while adding architectural insights to the projects. It sets it apart from the previous projects discussed and leads the way for various design shapes.

LEFRAK CENTER AT LAKESIDE / TOD WILLIAMS BILLIE TSIEN ARCHITECTS

In the previous examples, we demonstrated how enclosed ice rinks have started and how the arenas have evolved into different shapes.

LeFrak Center in Brooklyn, United states was built in year 2013 by Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects. The design features a detached canopy of 33m by 70m supported by irregular columns, in which an ice rink is sitting underneath. The canopy’s lowest layer is midnight blue, with a silver design inspired by figure skating footwork patterns etched onto it. In the off-season, the rink operates as a roller rink and event venue, bringing roller skating back to Brooklyn for the first time since 2007. In the summer, the ice rink, underneath it, is extended to the exterior, producing an elliptical rink that transforms into a water feature, providing a play environment for children and families. The canopy’s roof is accessible, allowing for a terrace view from the upper layer, overlooking the park and the frozen elliptical geometry where kids and adults are playing.

Such project is a clear definition and transformation of typical ice rink arenas into a more playful and park arenas, specially that ice rinks were originated at first from nature, frozen lakes. The LeFrak Center at Lakeside is a public venue that provides a location for enjoyment, where skill and poetry collide.

SKI CENTER, STADIUMS, URUMQI, CHINA

In the latest decades, an ice rink stadium became a part of a complex center for winter games, in which several arenas are build one next to another in order to host either a winter Olympic competition or a national one. In general, these buildings feature new technologies and organic and dynamic shapes in their designs.

Ski Center in China is a complex of stadiums designed to host China’s 13th National Winter Games. It is a center of several stadiums, built in 2014 and designed by Architectural Design and Research Institute of Harbin Institute of Technology. The master plan is a layout which provides the citizens and athletes with diverse activity spaces. It is based on the rational arrangement of events as well as the molding of the environment during and after the activities.

The design was highly influenced by its surroundings as it was inspired from the snow-capped mountains and Gobi unique to Xinjiang The white roof reflects the shape of a natural cap with horizontal lines that have been layered processed to imitate the distinctive rock formations of the Gobi Desert. Such effects give the impression of the whole complex as if it is being tucked in the snow white, with an elegant and resourceful façade in good harmony with the environment.

The reason we decided to cite such example in our thesis is due to its shape and design inspiration, as it clearly demonstrates the evolution in way of thinking and imagining stadiums, from a simple rectilinear box with sloped roof to a more dynamic shape reflecting its white surrounding. As modern arenas were becoming more safe, comfortable, and more accessible, they were able to attract a wider collection of spectators and most importantly a diversified one.

The arenas weren’t only upgraded in the sense to respect the new standards regarding safety; however, such process allowed for a greater opportunity to introduce business activities inside, merchandising, museums, guided tours, and restaurants which became popular and spread over several floors. With the help of these facilities, alongside recreational and leisure areas, arenas are being managed differently and treated as a public area not only used for sports events. Stadiums are now an important figure of the city, hosting several functions in which the community is in need for it, thus allowing it to open seven days a week and not only on game days.

This new approach allows the stadiums to be the center of the evolutionary process of contemporary cities, as key elements in development and new centers of attraction. However, in recent years stadiums have gone out of control as expenses and costs have reached unimaginable numbers which requires strict planning in terms of economic and environmental sustainability, without jeopardizing their sports nature and architectural qualities.

We highlighted through history and cases presented, how stadiums and arenas have changed throughout time and how for every generation has its own design and technological and structural innovations. For the next generations to come, architects and designers are racing for avant-garde designs which it is an exciting architectural challenge pushing the limits for a new step in the evolutionary process of stadiums.