(ECNS) -- The Beijing National Aquatics Center, colloquially known as the "Water Cube", has been renovated into the "Ice Cube" to host Winter Olympic events on ice.
A landmark venue of the 2008 Summer Olympics and Paralympics in Beijing, the Water Cube has hosted diving, swimming, and synchronized swimming events.
With Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics around the corner, the Ice Cube is set to host curling events.
According to Huang Hui, an official at Beijing Major Projects Construction Headquarters Office, renovation of the Water Cube includes 70 independent construction areas covering over 50 thousand square meters. The renovation realizes the re-utilization of materials by installing an ice-making system, therefore cutting costs dramatically.
A convertible frame, which consists of 2,600 H-shaped steel columns with a height of three meters and a length of two meters, has been built in the swimming pool after the water was drained. During the 2022 Winter Olympics, the frame will support four standard tracks for curling.
Apart from holding events on water and ice, the Beijing National Aquatics Center will also host large-scale commercial events, according to Yang Qiyong, its general manager.
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