Image: Marco Lubbers
A project to rejuvenate the Thialf Ice Arena in Heerenveen in the Netherlands has been awarded the German Design Award by the German Design Council. The revamp project was designed by ZJA Zwarts & Jansma Architects and Day Creative Business Partners. The new appearance of the arena itself was worked on by ZJA, while Day created the overall vision for all spaces included in the project.
Image: Marco Lubbers
A pair of glass ‘arms’ are designed, according to the architects, to “embrace the stream of visitors,” while an interior promenade connects the various elements of the facility. Serving points and public meeting points connect with the promenade, while a glass wall has been designed to increase the interaction between athletes and the public.
The promenade also serves to isolate the competition area inside, enabling carefully controlled indoor climatic conditions. An air curtain between the public and the competition areas, in addition to the separating promenade, makes it possible to control different areas’ specific thermal conditions. Ice temperature can be tuned to within a tenth of a degree, and specified for each section of track.
Image: Roy Klompmaker
The ice rink’s lighting design has also been carefully considered, with a color plan that graduates from light to dark, drawing spectators’ eyes to the competition area. The glass wall around the rink uses sections of colored blue foil to link it with the ice itself.
High levels of thermal insulation, LED lighting and underground heat and cold storage yield energy reductions of more than 50%. The facility also produces some of its own energy thanks to 5,000 solar panels on the roof; the venue plans to fully provide its own energy supply within five years, at which point it will also generate sufficient power for 1,250 houses.
Images (above): Roy Klompmaker
October 25, 2017
