Arena reuse key legacy of Beijing's 2022 Games
New construction and transformation of sports venues for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympicswith energy-saving features and designs to boost post-Games useare expected to leave a profound legacy after the big event.
The National Aquatics Center was dubbed the Water Cube when it hosted swimming competitions during the 2008 Summer Olympics. Now, the facility, in Beijing's northern downtown, is being reinvented as an ice cube to make it the 2022 Games' curling venue. The change is scheduled to be completed in the second half of 2019, according to the venue's owner, Beijing State-owned Assets Management Co.
"The renovation of a summer sport venue into a curling arena capable of hosting various ice-based sports and entertainment activities helps diversify the functions and revenue sources of this facility," Yang Qiyong, general manager of the center, said on Tuesday.