The building was constructed on a site beside the Fraser River, with the roof taking the stylized shape of a heron’s wing, a tribute to the large wading birds that live along the riverbank.
The design of the Richmond Olympic Oval has been based on three, main conceptual themes – Flow, Flight, and Fusion, which are reflected in a number of features of the building.
The official symbol of the City of Richmond, the heron is re-done in a series of feathered roof spans that tail off the edge of the building to create porches that serve as outdoor gathering spaces. The Oval’s roofline also recalls the outline of the stylized heron in the city’s logo.
The walls on the Oval’s south, east and west facades are translucent and are made out of polycarbonate. Their facades exhibit a color variation across their length. The Oval’s glassed northern side provides views of the Fraser River and North Shore mountains.
The north buttresses are expressed with a sculpture by artist Susan Point. The Oval also sports a new integrated public art work by artist Janet Echelman which has been suspended over a large pond.
Near the Oval’s southeast entrance, the vehicular bridge over the Hollybridge Canal features artistic designs by Buster Simpson.
The landscape design encompasses three main, interconnected public spaces: Legacy Plaza, Waterworks, and Riverside. Hollybridge Vehicular Bridge by Buster Simpson The Richmond Hollybridge Canal Bridge – a vehicular bridge that crosses Hollybridge Canal at High Street, near the Oval’s southeast entrance – is the first public art project visitors encounter as they enter the Oval site. Artist Buster Simpson collaborated with landscape architect Christopher Phillips to integrate art elements into the bridge’s design to create a kinesthetic threshold crossing experience and a processional civic entry to the Oval.
On each side of the short four-lane bridge, four light poles with glass blades have been placed that resemble a series of speed-skating blades. At night, the blades are transformed into an illuminated vector and beacon by LED lighting. Contemporary handrails in stainless steel and high-density polyethylene on both sides of the bridge complement the blade art pieces.
Waterworks consists of a large pond that detains storm water, improves water quality, and may provide water for site use. The pond also provides a major public urban space and attraction.