Vancouver 2010 Olympic Curling Venue

Location

Vancouver, BC

Situated near the heart of Vancouver, the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Curling Venue stands as a testament to thoughtful planning, catering to the needs of both local recreation and international athleticism.

Design Challenge

This state-of-the-art facility was a key element in the comprehensive redevelopment of adjacent public parks, showcasing a meticulous consolidation and reorganization of existing facilities. The impetus for this rejuvenation was the siting of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Curling Venue, featuring four Olympic-size curling sheets and accommodating 6,000 spectators. Post-games, it was converted into the Hillcrest Centre, a 13,450 m² space that claims the title of the largest facility within the Vancouver Park Board system. Careful attention was given to reconcile Olympic requirements with the long-term legacy for this community facility.

Disciplines

Architecture

Areas of impact

Client

Functioning as the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Curling Venue, the facility blends programming for sporting excellence with widespread community needs, underscoring its presence as a world class destination for recreation. As a multi-stakeholder, multi-client endeavor, its success lay in our ability to successfully unite a plethora of very different and competing interests and views. By listening carefully to the many voices of interested and affected parties and then synthesizing common ground to create an exciting vision, we could derive a plan that saw the creation of dynamic and active public spaces.

Our Response

This expansive project navigated the challenges of the pre-Olympic construction boom, ensuring timely completion for the games and a smooth transition to community use. With an eye to rigid scheduling constraints, the venue was delivered within the expected budget and schedule, earning commendation from both the client and the community for its efficient coordination and delivery.

The result was the creation of dynamic and active public spaces that fulfilled the Vancouver Olympic Committee's commitment to hosting the 2010 Winter Olympics curling event while strategically laying the foundation for long-term community use under the auspices of the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation.