Beijing Olympics 2008: the Lotus Flowers

 

Originally published on: 26/02/10 14:22

The Beijing Olympic Green Tennis Centre isnt the catchiest name for a sporting venue.

It hasnt got the nostalgic overtones of the likes of Arthur Ashe Stadium or Court Phillippe Chatrier, or the elegant simplicity of Centre Court.

The Beijing Olympic Green Tennis Centre – not the catchiest name ever…

Fortunately, the architects foresaw just such a problem and, while the marketeers dithered, made quite sure that the BOGTC (see, it’s not even nearly an acronym) would soon become known as the Lotus Flowers.

A beautiful venue, then, with a beautiful name and a purpose-built spectators paradise.

The flower-shaped Olympic Green Tennis Center is meticulously designed for natural ventilation to ensure the quality of the competition for athletes and spectators, the Beijing Organising Committee for the Olympic Games tell us.

Each of the three show courts is surrounded by twelve thin stands, circling the court and separating to allow air and light to enter in, and looking not too dissimilar to a lotus flower, in keeping with the villages

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