Beijing 2022 Construction Begins in Yanqing

(ATR) Construction began in the third cluster to host 2022 Winter Olympic events, Yanqing, Chinese state media reports.

Yanqing will host alpine skiing, along with bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton. The two competition venues, the alpine skiing center and sliding center, are the first venues under construction. Yanqing will also build an Olympic Village housing more than 1,400 athletes and a media center.

Officials estimate that half of construction at the alpine center will be completed by the end of 2019, meaning the venue could host test events. By the end of 2019 the sliding center will be 35 percent complete.

Construction at Yanqing begins just a few months after construction at Zhangjiakou resumed. Beijing is beginning construction on 26 projects for the Winter Olympics after starting 16 earlier this year. The two clusters will be connected to Beijing by a high speed rail.

State media reported that a roof is being planned on the sliding center to reduce the building’s energy footprint.

China.org reported that "ecological protection is a top priority" for the Yangqing construction, with projects designed to reuse water that will go into making the artificial snow for the venue. After the Games, renewable energy sources will be installed in the venues.

"The buildings will embody a design philosophy of integrating with nature while being compact, convenient, green and embellished with unique Chinese characteristics," Li Xinggang, venue chief architect said to news agency ECNS. "We hope people who are not familiar with Chinese culture will enjoy living and working in our facilities and grow to appreciate their rich philosophy and details."

Written by Aaron Bauer

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