The 2015 Paris Climate Agreement at COP21 set ambitious expectations for all construction work at the Paris 2024 Olympics. The brief for the Olympic Aquatics Center (OAC) established challenging restrictions on the construction materials, the energy usage and the carbon footprint of the project.
The completed arena met these requirements through an integrated approach combining structural innovation with architectural and mechanical servicing intent. The roof is formed of a series of timber catenaries supported on inclined timber columns stabilized with steel tension ties. This roof shape favors the use of timber – a raw material stronger in tension than compression along the grain – allowing for slender elements to efficiently span the 290ft hall. The shape also reduces the volume of the hall by a third as compared to an equivalent flat roof, slashing the energy usage requirements, and the roof itself is tiled with solar panels. The OAC is finished with a wraparound facade of timber slats to reduce solar gain, and energy demands of the building.
Stephan Hollinger, director at sbp, will discuss the design process and detailing of the primary mass timber roof structure at the International Mass Timber Conference in Portland, Oregon and share cost, embodied carbon and schedule information from the construction process.
Find out more about the conference here.
