Project in Detail
National Swimming Center (Water Cube)
Beijing, China
China Construction (Shenzhen) Design International
2008
The agile, tranquil and poetic atmosphere is integrated with traditional Chinese culture and modern technology. Taking the shape of a cube, National Aquatics Center is simple, streamlined and tinted with a sense of secrecy.
“Water Cube” is located inside Beijing Olympics Park. It is right opposite to the State Stadium on the other side of the axis and the harmony of its profile epitomizes the pinnacle of the atmosphere of the Olympics’ main venue. Its functionality is fully sufficient to satisfy the requirements on swimming, diving, water ballet, polo and other sports of the 2008 Olympics. It can accommodate 17,000 spectators and is easy for post-Olympics operation. As the precious legacy of the Olympics and the new highlight of Beijing’s urban construction, it will become the biggest and world-class multifunctional center of swimming, sports, fitness and recreation after the Olympics.
“Cube” is the basic shape of ancient Chinese urban architectures. It reflects the ethics-oriented social life principles of China. China’s traditional design philosophy is the origin of the conceptual design of “aquatic cube” that also satisfies the requirements on the multifunctionality of state swimming center. Hence, this perfect combination of traditional cultures and architectural functions comes into being.
In order to reflect this principle, the designers further improve on the concept of water, utilizing not only water as a decoration, but also its unique microstructure. Capitalizing on the design inspiration of “foam” theory, the designers give the “cube” an architectural coating that is laden with molecule-simulating geometric structures; the transparent ETFE exterior films on the surface give the cube a unique visual effect and feeling and make the profile and appearance so soft and gentle that the aquatic beauty of the complex is fully displayed. “Aquatic cube” also reflects a multitude of technologies and the concept of environment protection; the reasonable organization of natural ventilation, reasonable development of water circulating system and the extensive application of hi-tech architectures and materials never fail to add to the modernity of the swimming center.
Lead Architect
China Construction (Shenzhen) Design International