A speed skater makes a dramatic aesthetic statement sweeping through a turn—an image that inspired the design team as it created the sweeping cable suspension system for the Utah Olympic Oval.

As with athletes, an athletic facility must make more than a visual statement, and the design team focused all elements of the Oval on speed skating, resulting in what The Salt Lake Tribune claimed is “the fastest ice on earth.” At the 2002 Olympic Winter Games, an unprecedented eight world records were set, and now the Utah Olympic Oval is home to nine of 11 possible world records.

And just as a speed skater sustains resources for the next race and for long-term health, the design team used sustainable architecture techniques on the Oval, resulting in one of the first 13 worldwide Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design-rated buildings by the U.S. Green Building Council. The LEED rating system evaluates environmental performance from a whole-building perspective over a building's life cycle, providing a definitive standard for what constitutes a green building.