The London Aquatics Centre is an indoor facility with two swimming pools and a diving pool in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford, London. The centre, designed by architect Zaha Hadid as one of the main venues of the 2012 Summer Olympics and Paralympics, was used for the swimming, diving and synchronised swimming events. After significant modification, the centre opened to the public in March 2014.
Design
The centre was designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Zaha Hadid in 2004 before London won the bid for the 2012 Summer Olympics. It was built alongside the Water Polo Arena and opposite the Olympic Stadium on the opposite bank of the Waterworks River. The site is high, long, and wide. The wave-like roof is stated to be , a reduction from the previously stated .
The complex has a 50-m competition pool, a 25-m competition diving pool and a 50-m warm-up pool. The 50-m pool is 3 metres deep, like the one in the Beijing National Aquatics Center. Its floor can be moved to reduce its depth. There are also moveable booms that allow its size to be changed.
Because the centre was designed before the Olympic bid was completed, the spectator wings were not part of the original design. They were later added to fit the estimated audience.
Jacques Rogge, IOC President, described the centre as a "masterpiece".
Construction
On 1 December 2005, Hadid was instructed to revise her designs after a specification change led to a doubling of the £75-million estimated cost. The new plans were unveiled on 27 November 2006. Although the same general design was kept, with capacity for 17,500 spectators, the revised design was much smaller and was expected to cost much less than the previous estimate. However, subsequent cost increases were reported to Parliament in 2008.
The construction contract was awarded to Balfour Beatty in April 2008. At the same time, it was reported that the centre would cost about three times as much as originally estimated, totalling about £242 million. The cost increases were attributed to construction inflation and VAT increases, and also included the estimated cost of converting the facility for public use after the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The centre was completed in July 2011 at a final cost of £269 million.<!-- See the caption for the Image 7 --> Of all the swimming venues built for the 2012 Summer Olympics, the Aquatics Centre is the only one that remains afterwards, albeit in a downsized form.
After the Paralympic Games, the Aquatic Centre was deconstructed to reduce its space. The frame wings on either side of the central space were removed, unbolted, and sold. The PVC wrap that temporarily enclosed the space was also sold, while the seats and toilets were reused elsewhere. As certain parts of the building were no longer needed, they were recycled via Vinyloop. This allowed the standards of the Olympic Delivery Authority concerning environmental protection to be met.
Legacy
thumb|250px|Interior view of The Aquatics Centre after the games, without the temporary wings.
Since the Olympic Games the venue has been modified, especially by removing the temporary seating that flanked the centre during the Games. It opened to the public on 1 March 2014. Admission prices are in line with local leisure centres.
The adjacent Water Polo Arena was dismantled after the Olympic Games, which left the Aquatics Centre as the sole swimming venue at the park. The centre hosted the 2014 FINA/NVC Diving World Series and the 2016 European Aquatics Championships. It continues to be used for swimming, water polo, synchronised swimming and diving training.
Comparable venues in England
- Crystal Palace National Sports Centre, London
- Ponds Forge, Sheffield
- John Charles Centre for Sport, Leeds
- Manchester Aquatics Centre
- Sunderland Aquatic Centre
- Plymouth Life Centre