Olympic Games
Venues-Voleyball
Beijing's volleyball venue
Last Updated: Friday, August 7, 2009 | 2:34 PM ET
Bernice Chan CBC Sports
Chinese teenagers play basketball near the Beijing Institute of Technology Gymnasium, venue for the volleyball event during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, in Beijing, China. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)Engineering whiz kids go to the Beijing Institute of Technology, which is considered a top-tier research university in China for more than 50 years.
The post-secondary institution specializes mostly in aerospace science and engineering, metallurgy, optical, chemical and weaponry. That probably explains why the university gets many grants from the government.
Nevertheless, its campus in northwest Beijing, is in the university district, and near the city’s Silicon Valley, where many high-tech companies are based.
The preliminary volleyball games at the Beijing Olympics will be held at the Beijing Institute of Technology Gymnasium, a venue recently renovated for the event.
Designers liken the building’s look to a “batfish” from afar with its wave-like roof, but it could also look like a giant swashbuckling helmet.
The oval gymnasium underwent refurbishments, which include three layers of insulation for better energy conservation and more natural light allowed in through more windows and skylights.
Inside the airy venue, up to 5,000 spectators will sit around the courts cheering the teams on.
The gymnasium will be the venue for the Paralympic goalball event.
