Olympic Games
Venues-Worker's Gymnasium
A proletarian gym for boxers
Last Updated: Friday, August 7, 2009 | 2:37 PM ET
Bernice Chan CBC Sports
The Facade of the Workers' Gymnasium in Beijing. (Liu Jin/Getty Images) The Worker’s Gymnasium has been around for almost half a century and it’s still going strong. Located in the northeast side of Beijing, it’s close to Sanlitun, an area where many expats congregate, with western-style bars and restaurants nearby.
The gymnasium was built for the 26th World Table Tennis Championships in 1961. Chinese leaders Zhou Enlai and Deng Xiaoping attended the international event that drew 15,000 spectators.
After that event it was where major table tennis, basketball and volleyball tournaments were held. As a result it’s gone under some wear and tear over the decades. For the past two years the building has had extensive renovations, making old new again and transforming from a table tennis venue to a boxing ring for the Olympics.
From the outside, the building is round, with a Soviet architectural influence of function over design. The entrance includes three panels of reliefs, illustrating the importance of workers in a proletarian society.
What immediately strikes your eyes inside the gym is the giant 8-point red star with a golden halo around it suspended from the ceiling. And dangling from it and the ceiling are a number of lights creating a glowing effect.
When looking up at the ceiling, it’s like a giant wheel with numerous spokes emanating from the star. It makes for a dramatic appearance.
Overall the gymnasium holds 13,000 for the Olympics. New seats were put in and new windows in the nosebleed section to make it more energy efficient. There’s also enough room for 240 journalists to cover the matches, 30 VIP seats and a VIP box.
More lights were installed in the venue to give it more brightness. It was also improved structurally to withstand an 8.0-magnitude earthquake, according to the lead engineer in the renovation.
After the Games, the gymnasium will host the judo events for the Paralympics. There are more ramps and barrier-free washrooms and facilities for athletes and visitors alike.
