More Velodrome Architecture
This fabulous building was built as the velodrome for the 1976 Montreal Olympics. Since I like to imagine that velodromes serve as microcosms (by fitting a landscape –of sorts — in which you can travel many miles into a small space), I appreciate that the structure now houses the Montréal Biodôme, making it a real live microcosm. The image comes from the website of Canadian Architecture.
I am most interested in the structure of the velodromes — not so interested in the bike racing part — and photographs of the construction process reveal more of the structure. The riding surface is just a skin — this structure underneath is what makes the forms of the banked curves. This velodrome is at Stone Mountain Park.
The Stone Mountain Park velodrome was built for the 1996 Olympics, using Mathematica, a math software. The surface is complex - curved and banked at different degrees around the track — the math software computed all the curves and made 3d models.
The engineering firm is now building this, their 10th velodrome, in Qatar.
January 23rd, 2009 at 9:20 am
I was just doing a search about the Velodrome used in the 1996 Atlanta Games and came across your blog. I found out that my employer was the company that fabricated and installed the frame of the track. I wasn’t employed by the company at that time (I am on my second stint with them, totaling over six years), but was dumbfounded that it wasn’t common knowledge around here.
It is fascinating the amount of work that would go into creating the frame work.
May 6th, 2009 at 10:12 am
The Atlanta Velodrome made it’s way to Canada in 2000 (IIRC), I helped put it back together in Bromont, Quebec in 2001. The steel structure is amazing and will last a lifetime.
Best,
Mario