Olympic Games
Venues-Tennis
Tennis courts designed like flower petals
Last Updated: Monday, May 26, 2008 | 1:26 PM ET
Bernice Chan CBC Sports
The Olympic Tennis Center. (Guang Niu/Getty Images) Tennis is gaining popularity in China, even though most swing the racquet like they’re playing badminton.
Many are eager to play despite not wearing the most appropriate tennis clothing, as I’ve seen some wear jeans, regular shoes, and even a guy wearing a white shirt and black pants to hit a few balls.
Nevertheless, their enthusiasm for playing is probably why organizers invested a lot in developing the Olympic Green Tennis Center just inside the fifth ring road in the north side of the city.
It’s set in the Olympic green or forest area, which is why the architects decided to create tennis court stadiums in the shape of “lotus flowers” that “bloom.”
There are 10 courts, with the three main ones featuring a “flower petal” design. There are 12 “petals” or stands surrounding the main court as well as Court-1 and Court-2. They look like folding petals raised at an angle for tennis fans to have a good view of the court.
Designers have also made the stands steeper than other tennis stands so that spectators in front don’t block the sightlines of those behind them. According to the chief architect of the tennis center, the height between the rows is 9cm compared with 6cm in most other stands.
The main court holds 10,000 people, while Number One court seats 4,000, and Number Two court 2,000. There are another 1,400 spectator seats that overlook the other seven preliminary competition courts.
The petals also help create a natural ventilation system that organizers say helps reduce the temperature of the court by five degrees Celsius. The tennis tournaments will be held during Beijing’s hottest time of the year, which is why this open-ventilation concept is so crucial. A ventilation system has been installed throughout the three main courts so that fresh air will be pumped to fans and players alike to keep them cool.
Other green aspects about the tennis centre is that 100 per cent of the tennis courts’ waste water will be recycled by treating it through membrane biological reactors to remove contaminants. The treated water will then be used to water the tennis center’s foliage.
As this venue will also be used for wheel chair tennis during the Paralympics, there are many areas for disabled spectators and barrier-free washrooms installed.
