Table Tennis Venue for the 2008 Olympic Games
December 4, 2007

Full inside view of the Peking University Gymnasium from south to north

Courtesy of BOCOG

BEIJING -- The Peking University Gymnasium (PUG), to be used for the Table Tennis events of the Beijing Olympics, was inaugurated recently.

It is the first time that the Olympic Table Tennis competition will be held at a venue dedicated to the sport.

Table tennis was listed as an Olympic sport in 1988 at the Olympic Games in Seoul, and since then, the competition has shared the venues used also for other Olympic competitions for five consecutive Olympics.

Located on the Peking University campus and covering an area of 26,900 sq m, the gymnasium includes a natatorium and is 122.6 m long from south to north and 87.7 m wide from east to west. The table tennis venue on the first floor is 47 m long and 39.5 m wide, has room for eight competition tables, and can seat 7,557.

The project's steel structure relies on a seven-part support system comprising a pre-stress inhaul cable and horizontal, vertical, and other supportive components. Its roof resembles a table tennis ball between two hyperbolic surfaces, garnering it the name "China Ridge."

The PUG will hold the Table Tennis preliminaries and finals for the Beijing Olympics from August 8 to 20, 2008 and the Paralympics from September 9 to 17, 2008. As a trial run, this year's final Good Luck Beijing sport event, the ITTF Pro-TOUR Grand Finals, will be staged at the PUG from December 13 to 19.

After the Olympics, the gymnasium will be transformed into a comprehensive facility for table tennis, handball, basketball, badminton, volleyball, indoor football, and gymnastics competitions; special sports training; physical education; conventions; and art and sports performances.

View of Peking University Gymnasium from the northeast side