PRESS ROOM

Armstrong Flooring Products Are Winners At the Summer Olympics In Beijing

The 2008 Olympic Games opened in Beijing, China on August 8th, and they take place in some of the most extraordinary sporting venues ever built. Armstrong flooring products are getting in the game, too, playing important design and performance positions in 12 Olympic venues including the Bird’s Nest – the innovative main arena – the aquatic center, nicknamed the Water Cube, and the Basketball Gymnasium.

"Armstrong is proud to have contributed to the Olympics with product in so many premier venues,” says Ken Chong, vice president – Armstrong North Asia.

Two of the most notable buildings – the Bird’s Nest and the Water Cube – are getting media attention because of their original design.

The landmark National Stadium, dubbed the Bird’s Nest, is the main arena for the Games. It represents the traditional Chinese relationship with nature – it resembles a bird’s nest from the outside – combined with the contemporary spirit of this year’s Olympics. Inside the Bird’s Nest, 100,000 spectators will witness the Games’ opening and closing ceremonies, track and field competitions and soccer matches, and walk on Armstrong flooring.

Designers considered many flooring materials for the Bird’s Nest main lobby including epoxy, linoleum and PVC. Linoleum excelled in both fire and environmental performance. “Although a competitor’s product was lower priced, Armstrong Marmorette linoleum won the job because of the company’s reputation for quality and service excellence,” says Greg Gottlieb, senior vice president and managing director – Asia/Pacific.

The futuristic National Aquatics Center, called the Water Cube, turns heads with its high-tech membrane structure of semi-transparent, blue bubbles. The $150 million, 50,000 square meter feat of engineering, called “one of the most significant sports venues in the world” by key architect Zheng Fang, features Armstrong Marmorette linoleum. Here again linoleum scored big in tests for performance and aesthetics.

The Basketball Gymnasium was built with environmental conservation in mind. Armstrong’s Marmorette linoleum, made from renewable raw materials, again fit the bill. Three of the unusual-looking building’s seven levels are built underground for thermal efficiency; low-energy LED lights and a rainwater recycling system were installed to conserve energy and water.

For more information and tips, visit www.armstrong.com or call 1-800-527-5903.


About Armstrong

Armstrong World Industries, Inc. is a global leader in the design and manufacture of floors, ceilings and cabinets. In 2006, Armstrong’s consolidated net sales totaled approximately $3.4 billion. Based in Lancaster, Pa., Armstrong operates 39 plants in 10 countries and has approximately 13,000 employees worldwide.  For more information, visit www.armstrong.com.

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Contact: Michele Zelman Cherry Leaf Communications mjzelman@cherryleaf.net phone: (718) 859-6766	Contact: Carlene Moloney General Manager - Direct Consumer & Trade Marketing cfmoloney@armstrong.com phone: 717-396-5579 fax:  717-396-5029