"Bolshoy" Ice Dome | SIC Mostovik

The "Bolshoy" Ice Dome for ice hockey is a single building, covered by a spherical dome. Lying at the heart of the concept for the ice dome is the shape of a frozen drop of water. The predominant color of the dome is silver. For the first time in Russian construction the dome of the ice palace features a complex format: usually the roofs of such buildings are flat. Part of the dome with a total area of over 7,000 square meters rises almost 50 m over the main ice hockey arena. The color of the façade glass was selected so that by day specular highlights play on it, whilst in the evening it becomes fully transparent enabling people to see the interior of the building. The covering for the roof of the "Bolshoy" features light-emitting diodes. The roof is a screen on which any images can be shown. This makes it possible to change the appearance of the sports facility. The area of the ice dome's roof is almost 26,000 sq. m – the equivalent of more than 12 ice hockey rinks. To construct the reinforced concrete frame, approximately 100,000 cubic meters of concrete were required, of which 40% went on the foundations. 1,000 people were engaged on the work during the peak construction period. 4,000 tonnes is the weight of the metal structures in the vaulting. On the one hand, the name of the Ice Arena underlines the particular features of this sports facility. The "Bolshoy" is going to have one of the largest capacities of all the Olympic venues intended to host competitions, in sports disciplines with the biggest mass appeal. At the same time, the word "Bolshoy", which is known and instantly recognizable to representatives of many countries and peoples, arouses a strong association with Russia – the Bolshoy theater, the traditions of the Russian school of ballet, figure skating, ice hockey and the other achievements of the biggest country in the world. The first international Test Events were the IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship – which took place at the venue in April 2013. The venue is undergoing certification in accordance with the BREEAM international environmental standard. After the Games "Bolshoy" Ice Dome will serve as a multi-purpose sports center.