Aquatics Centre (London)

Infobox Stadium
stadium_name = London Aquatics Centre
nickname =


fullname =
location = Stratford, London, England
coordinates = coord|51.539809|-0.010504|type:landmark_region:GB|display=inline,title
broke_ground =
built = (Expected completion 2011)
opened =
renovated =
expanded =
closed =
demolished =
owner =
operator = Olympic Delivery Authority
surface = Swimming and diving pools
construction_cost = £303M
architect = Zaha Hadid Architects
structural engineer = ARUP
services engineer = ARUP
general_contractor=
project_manager =
main_contractors = Balfour Beatty
former_names =
tenants = London 2012
seating_capacity = 17,500 (2,500 Post Olympics)cite web
title = Construction starts early on major venues
publisher = London 2012 HQ
url = http://www.london2012.com/news/archive/2008-07/construction-starts-early-on-major-venue.php
accessdate = 2008-07-17 ]
dimensions =The London Aquatics Centre is an indoor facility with two 50 metre swimming pools and a 25 metre diving pool, which will be one of the main venues of the London 2012 Summer Olympics. Designed by Pritzker Prize winning architect Zaha Hadid, the centre is located in the Olympic Park at Stratford in East London. Its distinctive architecture and curved roof will be the first venue visitors see upon entering the Olympic Park, and is close to the Olympic Stadium.

The centre will be used for the Olympic event of swimming, diving, synchronised swimming and water polo final. During the Games it will have a capacity of 17,500, which will be reduced to 2,500 after the Games. It is expected that the centre will leave a legacy of replacing the pools at the Crystal Palace Sports Centre in South London as the UK's leading facility for aquatic sports.

Construction began on the 17 July 2008, 2 months ahead of schedule and is due to be completed in 2011 by construction firm Balfour Beatty.cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/7336542.stm|title=Cost of 2012 Olympic pool triples|publisher=BBC NEWS|accessdate=2008-07-01]

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.ref|Costs The revised plans were unveiled on 27 November 2006.ref|Newref|Design Although the same general design has been kept and will still be able to hold 17,500 spectators, the Aquatics Centre will now be much smaller and will cost much less than previously expected.

On 8 April 2008 it was reported that the centre will cost about three times as was originally estimated, totaling about £242m. Cost increases were attributed to construction inflation and VAT increases, and also includes the estimated cost of converting the facility for public use after the Olympics. The roof is stated to be convert|11200|sqft|m2, a reduction from the previously stated convert|35000|sqft|m2.

Despite the cost increases, the centre should stay within the total construction budget for the event, which is an estimated £6.09bn.

ee also

*List of Olympic-size swimming pools in the United Kingdom
*Olympic Hockey Centre (London)
*Olympic Stadium (London)

References

# [http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601102&sid=adRh1kA4nb1k&refer=uk London Olympic Organizers Say Aquatics Site Work Ahead of Plan]
# (1 December 2005). " [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/olympics_2012/4488368.stm Olympic pool plans to be revised] " at BBC News. Accessed 1 December 2005.
# [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/olympics_2012/6187774.stm BBC News website]
# [http://www.london2012.com/en/news/press+room/releases/2006/November/2006-11-27-11-30.htm London 2012 website]

External links

* [http://www.lda.gov.uk/ London Development Agency]
* [http://www.zaha-hadid.com Zaha Hadid Architects]