Soldier Hollow Nordic Center Competition Management Building renovation and expansion
Midway, Utah
BEST PROJECT
Presented by Jacobsen construction
owner Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation
Leading design company Elliott Working Group
General Contractor Jacobsen construction
Road engineer Alliance Engineering
Structural Engineer Structural NPA
MEP engineer BNA Consulting
Designated as the host site for the biathlon and cross-country events of the 2034 Winter Olympics, Soldier Hollow features a three-story wood and cane hybrid structure. The scope of the project included the demolition and renovation of 7,000 square feet of existing area and the addition of 26,000 square feet to accommodate broadcasters, competition officials, athletes and fans.
The building includes indoor and outdoor spectator spaces, modern broadcast and race management booths, flexible multi-use event areas, enhanced athlete training spaces and a Nordic sports equipment rental shop. It also features a 360-degree viewpoint with views of the competition areas and surrounding landscapes.
During two high-elevation winter seasons, extraordinary amounts of snow fell, even above the high totals normally seen in the area. The team was able to avoid OSHA-recordable incidents through aggressive attention to snow clearance and ground salting, numerous safety meetings reviewing best practices to prevent falls, and mandatory use of ice traction pads throughout the worksite.
Photo courtesy of Jacobsen Construction
By integrating the expansion into the natural topography of the area, the design allows for grade-level entrances on two floors. The lowest level houses the equipment rental shop, which offers ski-in/ski-out access for school groups, while the middle floor serves as day accommodation for the general public. The upper level, elevated above the main circulation areas, features a large meeting space with a wraparound deck, perfect for hosting events. Four large vertically folding glass walls open to create seamless indoor and outdoor access, offering nearly 360-degree views of the competitions surrounding the building.
One of the main goals of the project team was to responsibly use the much-requested funds from the Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation for this project. Extensive value engineering during preconstruction helped identify $2 million in savings. These solutions included removing an entire floor from the building design in favor of a three-story structure with larger, more cost-effective floor plans and eliminating a prohibitive access tunnel by relocating some of the building’s mechanical systems.
