The Olympic Velodrome design is a proposal for a state of the art hub for bikers in Budapest, with facilities for professionals, amateurs and visitors alike, functioning actively throughout the year, accommodating a mixed programme of sporting and social events. - A place for sportspeople, hobbyists, families and tourists.

The strategic location of the site on the Danube River, between Budapest's city centre and the Pillis mountains - a popular outer-city biking destination - renders it an ideal location for a biking hub and for development of a riverside bike route.

The proposal aims to drive synergies and wider urban integration of the surrounding functions in the Obuda Gas works area, through the creation of an attractive, social and public space for sports, leisure and recreation.

A connected and accessible riverfront would present a culturally and socially dynamic development, with potential for new stops along existing river transport routes. Additionally, views and a bridge connection with Obuda Island (an event-based cultural centre and green recreation area) position the site in a place of advantage, thus maximising the velodrome building icon value.

The inland site strategy is to catch storm water runoff before it reaches the river and collect it in the low-lying areas of the site. Planted wetlands are interspersed with amateur bike paths and walkways to form a bike park. A pond near the velodrome building doubles as a wading pond in summer and an ice-skating rink in winter. The riverfront strategy is one of flood control, with terraced wetland boardwalks + bike paths, planted with reeds, rushes, grasses and flood-tolerant plant species.

            The velodrome building is positioned close to the vehicular road and railway line on the north, to be easily serviced and accessed during large events by buses, media vans etc. But mainly to keep the south-west part of the site free for public use, easily accessed from the waterfront and neighbouring cultural centres. It also ensures that the building lies outside the low-lying unstable/marshy part of the site. Poised on the north side, the large velodrome building becomes an iconic backdrop to the public activities in the wetland bike park, and along the river front, when viewed from the cultural reuse areas or from across the river.

            The Olympic BMX track is similarly positioned against the north edge of the site for access during sporting events. It is located at the North western corner where the site is narrower, and can be easily viewed from the neighbouring cultural block. A sloped lawn, integrated with the site contours, located between cultural buildings and the BMX track, provides a space for casual watching.

The dichotomy between the day-to-day public agenda of the proposal and the need for security and controlled access in the occasional large ticketed sporting event calls for an adaptable approach which allows for the velodrome building and Olympic BMX track to be privatised when required, with segregated access for spectators and bikers.

The typically introverted velodrome building is designed to be a backdrop to myriad social activities around it. The roof structure responds to the agenda of outdoor social spaces by extending over gathering areas. Areas for temporary cultural events, markets, film/sport screenings, are included in the exterior programme below the roof canopies, in addition to biking activity areas.

The roof form is inspired by forest canopies in the Pillis mountains - a shading cover through which dappled light passes through, in a gently rising landscape. The digital physics-based form finding tool Kangaroo was used to achieve an efficient large-span structure. The proposed velodrome roof is a cross-laminated timber trigrid constructioin, with  wooden pre-tensioned beams. Triangular skylights are positioned to allow natural light into the velodrome interior and photo-voltaic panels are placed for optimal solar power generation. This was calculated using ladybird and honeybee environmental plug-ins in grasshopper. The undulating roof extends over landscaped outdoor amenities in a combination of shading and open timber frames.