The Aquatics Centre is one of the 7 venue’s located within the Olympic park.
It’s the venue for Swimming, Paralympic Swimming, Diving, Synchronised Swimming and the Aquatics discipline of the Modern Pentathlon.
The Aquatics Centre is ‘the gateway to the Games’ as many spectators will enter the Olympic Park over a bridge which runs over the top part of the venue.
Tom Daley, Team GB Diver said:
“I think the Aquatics Centre looks amazing. I’ve seen the roof so far and it’s a funky shape, and that’s what you need. You need something different and unique to stand out.”
What’s inside?
- 50m competition pool
- 25m competition diving pool
- 50m warm-up pool
- ‘dry’ warm-up area for divers.
Design features
The Aquatics Centre has a spectacular roof, shaped like a wave which is 160m long and up to 80m wide.
The 3,000 tonne roof rests on just two concrete supports at the northern end of the venue, and a single wall at the southern end. The architect is Zaha Hadid.
During construction, the roof was held by temporary supports called trestles. These were taken away when the steel work was finished. The roof had to be raised slightly and then lowered back into position.
Problem solving
Building materials can move when the temperature changes – this is called ‘thermal movement’. The site is carefully watched for thermal movement, especially on hot days when the steel trusses expand and then cool down during the night.
All water is carefully used. For example, the water from the swimming and diving pools will be reused to flush the toilets throughout the venue.
What was there before?
The Aquatics Centre stands on the site of scrap metal merchants and salvage yards.
This was the site of one of the biggest fridge mountains in Europe.
After the Games
The Aquatics Centre has a capacity of 17,500; most seats are in temporary stands which will be removed after the Games to leave a sleek and fantastic swimming pool for the local community, clubs and schools, as well as world class swimmers.
A crèche, family-friendly changing facilities and a cafe, alongside a new public plaza in front of the building are all part of the plan for the future.
Watch this:
Aquatics Centre roof is completed
Aquatics Centre roof – at the beginning of construction
More about the Aquatics Centre
Read about the project management of the Aquatics Centre, which was built on track and and on budget
A few more number crunching facts…
Around 160,000 tonnes of soil was dug out in the area of the Aquatics Centre. The soil was contaminated with pollutants, including petrol, oil, tar, solvents and heavy metals such as arsenic and lead.
Four skeletons were discovered and removed from a prehistoric settlement discovered on the site of the Aquatics Centre. The sweeping roof has an aluminium covering, half of which is recycled. There will be 866,000 ceramic tiles in the pools, poolside and changing rooms. Over 30,000 sections of timber – all sustainably sourced – were fitted on the curved Aquatics Centre ceiling. 3D computer modelling was used to cut the wood accurately. The ceiling curves in two directions, but the joining lines must be absolutely straight to make it easier for backstroke swimmers to swim in a straight line.
