Oh dear! What on earth has happened to Zaha Hadid’s Olympic Acquatic centre?

A close look at the planning application has revealed that the flowing shape of the building will be masked during the games by two huge temporary stands at either side to house 15,000 spectators.

The Olympic Delivery Authority wants to limit the number of permanent seats because of its obsession with having a commercially viable building after the games. Critics suggest this is something of a botched solution.

There were more cries of ‘legacy’ from the ODA last month when it emerged that the pool won’t meet the 15% carbon reduction on Part L that had been claimed in the original sustainability documents. But apparently while the centre won’t meet the targets during the games, once it is in legacy mode and using renewable energy, it will. That’s okay, then.

Meanwhile, discussions continue over how much the building will cost. The ODA’s budget says £160m-£170m, while Balfour Beatty says £213m.

The ODA also wants Balfour Beatty, which has been the sole bidder since last October, to finish the building a year early to allow for testing.

• February also brought news that Land Securities is to scrap the Zaha Hadid-designed Architecture Foundation HQ in Southwark, south London. First Bovis Lend Lease and then Rooff failed to meet the £5m budget.

Source

Construction Manager