McLaren assists with CTV's Olympic Broadcast Studio

McLaren Engineering Group is at the Winter Olympics.

When the Canadian television network CTV broadcasts from the Winter Olympics starting Friday, it will do so in part from an outdoor pavilion at the Whistler Village resort, located in Whistler, British Columbia, outside of Vancouver. Blackwalnut LLC, a scene shop based in Valley Cottage, NY, engaged McLaren to provide structural engineering services for the pavilion, an octagonal steel structure clad in wood panels and graphics. The pavilion's roof is approximately 36 feet in diameter and stands over 15 feet tall. Three of the eight pavilion walls are comprised of ten foot high glass doors that can be opened during clear weather.

The Pavilion was designed by Jack Morton/PDG based out of New York City.

Among the challenges associated with this structure was its location. The local building code dictates significant snow loads, upwards of 200 pounds per square foot for permanent buildings. Given the pavilion's temporary nature, and the fact that it will be continuously monitored by production staff, appropriate reductions for environmental loads were developed in conjunction with the building official.

The 45,000 lbs pavilion and adjacent overhead lighting truss bear on an existing parking garage, which called for an intricate transfer frame design to appropriately distribute loads.