Beijing 2008 - Laoshan Velodrome a technological masterpiece

(BEIJING, December 6) -- Occupying a land surface of 33,320 sq m, the Laoshan Velodrome shines as a brand new venue for the track cycling event for the Beijing 2008 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The three-story building is 33.8m tall, capable of seating 6,000, including 3,000 temporary seats. It is capped with a dish-shaped dome where more than 200 lights are installed. A 250m-long all-weather wooden cycle track lies on the floor, surrounded by rows of blue spectator chairs.

The velodrome has a lattice-framed steel structure, with a horizontal shadow spanning 133.06m, and 150m in diameter. To put 1,400 tones of steel structure in place, the engineers and workers displayed their "weaving" skills on and above ground.

They set up two platforms on a 500m-long round steel rail to lift the beams and gradually expanded the surface on which the supportive structures are erected. At one juncture, it took four hours for 700 workers to use 64 capstan engines to put the dome's skeleton in place.