The Holmenkollen Ski Jump Wins 2011 ECCS Structural Steel Design Award

JDS Architects’ Holmenkollen Ski Jump has been announced as the winner of the 2011 ECCS Structural Steel Design Award today at the ECCS Congress in Potsdam, Germany. The award recognizes outstanding design in steel construction emphasizing the many advantages of steel in construction, production, economy and architecture. The European Steel Design Awards are given by the European Convention for Constructional Steelwork (ECCS) every two years to encourage the creative and outstanding use of steel in architecture and construction.

Project Description from the Architects:

More than 100 years ago, a Norwegian lieutenant propelled himself 9.5 meters into the air and the sport of ski jumping was born. Since 1892, the village of Holmenkollen, twenty minutes from Oslo, has hosted legendary competitions and the site remains one of the foremost locales for the international sport including the 1952 Winter Olympics. Along with Wimbledon and the Wembley Arena, Holmenkollen Ski Jump the world’s most visited sports facility. Nevertheless as a skijump it is one of the smallest hills in the World Cup tournament, and in September 2005, the International Ski Federation decided that the current hill does not meet the standards to award the city the 2011 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships. In December 2005 Norway’s Directorate of Cultural Heritage approved the demolition of the ski jump and in April 2007 the Oslo municipality announced an open international competition for a new ski jump.

We beat out 103 other firms and were awarded the commission the following year. Working closely with city officials, we established an office in the capital to bring to fruition our project that will become a beacon for the city and a new showcase for the sport of ski jumping.

Concept:

Rather than having a series of dispersed pavilions on site, our design unifies the various amenities into one holistic diagram. The judges booths, the commentators, the trainers, the Royal family, the VIPs, the wind screens, the circulations, the lobby, the entrance to the arena and the arena itself, the lounge for the skiers, the souvenir shop, the access to the existing museum, the viewing public square at the very top, everything, is contained into the shape of the jump. The resulting simplicity of the solution improves the experience of the spectators and brings clear focus to the skiers jumping. The ski jump is clad with a mesh of stainless steel and rises 58 meters in the air. Its 69m cantilever makes it the longest of its kind. On the first day of jumping tests, the record of the longest jump made at Holmenkollen was broken. Atop the ski jump is a platform where visitors can take in some of the most breathtaking views of Oslo, the fjord and the region beyond. It’s a new form of public space, using an unlikely architectural form as its host, affording the same spectacular vantage point for everyone who comes to Holmenkollen.

The Lonely Planet declared the new Holmenkollen Ski Jump as one of the ten top world destinations to visit in 2011.

Project Details:

Project: Ski Jump, Stadium, Retail    
Budget: 73.000.000 EUR    
Type: Open Competition
Size: 32.000 m2    
Client: Oslo Municipality    
Status: 1st Prize, Completed 2011
Location: Norway, Oslo   

Team: JDS, Norconsult, Grindaker, Metallplan        
JDS Partner in Charge: Julien De Smedt
Project Leader: Morten S. Haave, Kamilla Heskje
Project Team: Mikkel Sørensen, Marco Boella, Barbara Costa, Kristoffer Harling, Edna Lüddecke, Michaela Weisskirchner, Wouter Dons, Aleksandra Kiszkielis, Alex Dent, Alf Lassen Nielsen, Andrea Weisser, Andy Vann, Carlos Carbrera, Dries Rodet, Elina Manninen, Eric Gilham, Felix Luong, Filip Lipinsky, Guilherme Cartaxo, Gunnar Hoess, Magdalena Kusowska, Mimmi Wide Gustafson, Ieva Maknickaite, Isabella Eriksson, James McBennett, Johanna Kliment, Josue Gillet, Liz Kelsey, Nicholas Muraglia, Pauline Parcollet, Rasmus Brusgaard Hansen, Robert Huebser, Ruben Rendon, Stefan Busch, Tabea Treier, Wolfgang Mitterer, Erik Olav Marstein, Torkel Njå, Derrick Lai, Victoria Diemer Bennetzen, Mads Knak-Nielsen

All images via JDS Architects.