Arena Roof Gives Outsiders a Glimpse of 2014 Sochi Olympics

While Russian architects did a fine job constructing the beautiful Olympic setting, what they did with the design and function of the hockey arena, has people from around the world talking.

In and of itself, the Bolshoy Ice Dome is a beautiful building.

However, the Russian architects decided that a magnificent design wasn’t enough. So, they decided to make the dome capable of putting on a light show at night during the Sochi Olympics.

A computer program allows those controlling the dome’s lights to select the flag of any country in the world and display it on the dome.

In addition, the dome also acts as a score board that provides the score and information about the game being played inside to those walking or driving by.

In an interview with USA Today, lead architect Andrey Ustinov told the newspaper, ”the roof is our pride. My parents live in Siberia and my dad calls me and says ‘Son, call your mom. She’s watching t.v. and crying.”

While the beautiful color combinations of the dome don’t bring everyone to tears, it is probably safe to say that everyone that sees it, even on television, is taken back by it’s beauty.

Interestingly, the dome may be more magnificent to look at during the day than at night. The dome is white while the building beneath it is a dark marble grey and the only other demarcating feature is the Olympic rings which are also all white.

The dome took four years to construct and has over 20,000 LED lights embedded in the roof. Completely appropriate in relation to the magnificent yet simple appearance of the Bolshoy Ice Dome is that the entire lighting system is controlled by a single computer.