New Olympic aquatics centre slimmed down

The revised design for London’s Olympic aquatics centre was unveiled today. Cost consultancy Sense is cost managing the building, which is being designed by architect Zaha Hadid.

The new design retains the striking wave-shaped roof but the building is smaller. For example, the roof is now 14,000m2, compared to 35,000m2 originally.

Controversy surrounded the original design in December 2005 when Olympics minister Tessa Jowell claimed she had asked Zaha Hadid to change it because it was too expensive.

As before, the centre to house two 50m swimming pools, a 25m diving pool and 20,000 spectator seats. ODA chief executive David Higgins said: "The revised design, while just as visionary and exciting, is smaller than the original, reflecting the new constraints of the site, and is now fully integrated with the bridge from Stratford City to the Olympic Park… The aquatics centre will be a magnificent Gateway to the Games.”

Mayor of London Ken Livingstone said: "Zaha and her team have carefully recrafted their original concept and produced a truly world class aquatics centre design for a world class city.”

Contractors are already working on the aquatics centre site to prepare the land for construction to start in mid-2008. The venue is to be completed for testing in summer 2011.

The core facilities of the aquatics centre are the two 50m pools, one for training and one for competition, plus the diving pool. The main Water Polo events will be held separately in temporary buildings close by.

The pool sizes are:

· Competition pool: 50m x 25m - 10 lanes

· Training pool 50m x 21m - 8 lanes

· Diving pool 21m x 25m x 5 m deep

For the Games the aquatics centre is extended with temporary seating and canopies to accommodate 15,000 people watching swimming and 5,000 diving. After the Games temporary seating will be removed and the building will be converted to a 2500 seat venue providing a major swimming venue for London. This can be expanded to 3500 seats for European events.

The ODA said discussions were ongoing with the Boroughs, but it is planned that the aquatics centre will also accommodate health and fitness facilities, a cafeteria fronting on to Stratford Bridge and a swimming training centre.

Hadid said the concept was “inspired by the fluid geometry of water in motion, creating spaces and a surrounding environment in sympathy with the river landscape”.