091001 2014 Winter Olympic Stadium By Populous

If you are a reader of Inhabitat, you would have probably seen this already.

2014 Winter Olympic Stadium By Populous Will Have Crystalline Skin

by Bridgette Meinhold, 09/30/09

Populous, a new venture recently spun-off from leading sustainable architecture firm HOK has unveiled its design for the stadium that will be the epicenter of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. Although the plans are still hazy, the project will feature several sustainable factors including a shimmering crystalline skin.

The translucent skin is meant to represent the “color and spectacle of the games when illuminated at night” and will envelope 40,000 people when the stadium is full. As with the entire plan of the Olympic games in Sochi, sustainability is key, although no details have yet been presented to outline the green features of the new stadium. Much like many of the eco-stadiums in recent years, advanced material technology, lightweight structures, as well as daylighting and natural ventilation will most likely play an important role.

“The main stadium design, in addition to the venue overlay plan we have prepared for the 2014 Games, delivers a wonderful vision for the winter Olympics, and a lasting sustainable legacy for Sochi. Its sweeping form responds to both its coastal location and mountainous backdrop, whilst its crystalline skin engages with its surroundings by day, and provides an iconic representation of the colour and spectacle of the games when illuminated at night. We are proud to be involved on such a level with Olympstroy,” said John Barrow, Populous senior principal. Populous is a fast moving and expanding firm with an impressive resume already in it’s first year of operation. Since December 2008, they have already won the bid to design the 2012 Olympic Stadium for London.

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This is what I interpret instantly when I first see it. Isn't that just look like a combination of Watercube by PTW and Beijing Olympic Stadium by Herzog & de Meuron?

It relates a little bit to my project where bio-cells as skin structure of the building. However, the project is still at concept stage. I just wonder how this building achieve sustainable standards and what sort of material will they choose to create that crystalline effects.