The Big Our
A community stadium
Stadia are places for people. Burdened by its complicated history, the Olympic Stadium was hardly ever that. The Montréal community footed an enormous bill, a serious hangover and was never truly able to embosom their Olympic legacy. In our proposal we want to reward the patience of the people of Montréal and give them what they should already own - a community stadium.
Re-use, don't re-purpose
The Montreal Olympic Stadium inner roof is designed to perform a very specific purpose. Its structural workings and geometry become apparent only upon intricate study. The interplay of compression ring, struts, radial and main stay cables is so particular and tailor-made, that any re-configuration will undoubtedly represent down-cycling.
It is not without saddening irony of course that this roof, which is so tailor-made, struggles in its current form, to safely cope with Montréal's winters. But it is not a lost cause.
We therefore propose to re-use the roof as-is - retaining its function, structural performance, constructional logic and its unique aesthetic.
Cut and paste - the perfect "objet trouvé"
We propose to re-use the roof "as-found" over the stands of a 10-12k seater stadium. It needs not be a new venue. The roof could be placed around the Université de Montréal Carabins' current training pitch, creating a stadium with covered seats for all spectators.
By using the roof as readymade, all energy-intensive manufacturing and even restoration processes are omitted from the equation, turning the result truly energy- and cost-positive. This is up-cycling at its best: cut and paste re-use.
Of course we rid the roof of its fatal flaw first. We omit the central part to reduce the loads acting on the canopy. It can now be used year-round to safely cover the spectators of the community stadium.
Of course the roof will have to be independent. The inner roofs 102 flying masts are bundled to create a mast to support the main cables in almost the same configuration as in the original roof. The flying masts with their equal lengths are perfectly suited for such assembly. The main stays no longer needed to support the inner roof now reach outside the community stadium to stabilise the mast.
Of course the roof's readiness for a second life will be proven. For the community, for the environment, for free.
(From competitor's text)
