Thialf ice arena – facade

2013 Design Parametric Design Professional ZJA

For the Dutch, skating is not just a sport; it is an event that opens their hearts. Skating competitions in ice arenas are emotional events where excellence is applauded but also record times are compared. High-altitude arenas posted faster times, which urged Thialf, being a lowland ice arena, to improve performance. For this reason, from 1986 on, all its competitions were held under its newly closed roof. Still, the conditions in high-altitude arenas were more favorable for top times, and in 2014 Thialf decided to optimize all its facilities. After two years of renewal, Thialf is again the fastest, most sustainable, and modern lowland ice arena.

The new facade of the ice skating ring has been parametrically designed to be evocative of abstracted snowflakes.