London Aquatic Centre in London, UK by Zaha Hadid Architects

More projects by Zaha Hadid

The architectural concept of the London Aquatic Centre is inspired by the fluid geometry of water in motion, creating spaces and a surrounding environment in sympathy with the river landscape of the Olympic Park.  An undulating roof sweeps up from the ground as a wave – enclosing the pools of the Centre with its unifying gesture of fluidity, whilst also describing the volume of the swimming and diving pools.

London Aquatic Centre

• Architects: Zaha Hadid Architects
• Project: London Aquatic Centre
• Location: London, UK
• PROGRAM: Aquatics Centre for 2012 Summer Olympics and future use
• CLIENT: Olympic Delivery Authority
• Project Director: Jim Heverin
• Project Architect: Glenn Moorley, Sara Klomps
• Project Team [competition]: Saffet Kaya Bekiroglu, Agnes Koltay, Feng Chen, Gemma Douglas, Kakakrai Suthadarat, Karim Muallem, Marco Vanucci, Mariana Ibanez, Sujit Nair
• Project Team: Alex Bilton, Alex Marcoulides, Barbara Bochnak, Carlos Garijo, Clay Shorthall, Ertu Erbay, George King, Giorgia Cannici, Hannes Schafelner, Hee Seung Lee, Kasia Townend, Nannette Jackowski, Nicolas dalewitch, Seth Handley, Thomas Soo, Tom Locke, Torsten Broeder, Tristan Job, Yamac Korfali, Yeena Yoon
• Photographer: Hélène Binet

Consultants

• Sports Architects: S+P Architects (London)
• Structural engineer: Ove Arup & Partners (London, Newcastle)
• Services: Ove Arup & Partners (London)
• Fire safety: Arup Fire (London)
• Acoustics: Arup Acoustics (London)
• Façade Engineers: Robert-Jan Van Santen Associates (Lille)
• Lighting Design: Arup Lighting (London)
• Kitchen Design: Winton Nightingale (London)
• Maintenance Access: Reef (London)
• Temporary Constructiont: Edwin Shirley Staging (London)
• Security Consultant: Arup Security (London)
• AV + IT Consultants: Mark Johnson Consultants (London)
• Access Consultant: Access = Design (London)
• CDM Co-Coordinator: Total CDM Solutions (Cardigan)
• BREEAM Consultant: Ove Arup & Partners (London)

Size/Area

• Site Area: 36,875 m2 
• Legacy: Basement 3,725 m2, Ground Floor 15,137 m2, First Floor 10,168 m2
• Olympic: Basement 3,725 m2, Ground Floor 15,402 m2, First Floor 16,387 m2, Seating Area 7,352 m2

Footprint Area

• Legacy: 15,950 m2
• Olympic: 21,897 m2

London Aquatic Centre

The London Aquatic Centre is designed to have the flexibility to accommodate the size and capacity of the London 2012 Olympic Games whilst also providing the optimum size and capacity for use in Legacy mode after the 2012 Games.

London Aquatic Centre

Site Context

The London Aquatic Centre is situated within the Olympic Park Masterplan. The site is positioned on the south eastern edge of the Olympic Park with direct proximities to Stratford. The new pedestrian access from the east-west bridge called the Stratford City Bridge which links the Stratford City development with the Olympic Park will cross over the LAC. This will provide a very visible frontage for the LAC along the bridge. Several smaller pedestrian bridges will connect the site to the Olympic Park over the existing canal.

London Aquatic Centre

The Aquatic Centre addresses within its design the main public realm spaces implicit within the Olympic Park and Stratford City planning. These are primarily the east-west connection of the Stratford City Bridge and continuation of the Olympic Park space alongside the canal.

Image Courtesy Helen Binet

Layout

The Aquatic Centre is planned on an orthogonal axis perpendicular to the Stratford City Bridge. Along this axis are laid out the three pools. The training pool is located under the bridge whilst the competition and diving pools are within a large volumetric pool hall. The overall strategy is to frame the base of the pool hall as a podium by surrounding it and connecting it into the bridge.

Image Courtesy Helen Binet

This podium element allows for the containment of a variety of differentiated and cellular programmatic elements into a single architectural volume which is seen to be completely assimilated with the bridge and the landscape. From the bridge level the podium emerges from underneath the bridge to cascades around the pool hall to the lower level of the canal side level

Image Courtesy Helen Binet

The pool hall is expressed above the podium level by a large roof which is arching along the same axis as the pools. Its form is generated by the sightlines for the spectators during the Olympic mode. Double-curvature geometry has been used to create a structure of parabolic arches that create the unique characteristics of the roof.  The roof undulates to differentiate an internal visual separation inside the pool hall between the competition pool volume and the diving pool volume. The roof projects beyond the base legacy pool hall envelope to extend the roof covering to the external areas of the cascades and the bridge entrance. The roof projection over the bridge entrance announces the London Aquatic Centre’s presence from the approach from either Stratford City or the Olympic Park. Structurally the roof is grounded at 3 primary positions. Otherwise the opening between the roof and the podium is in-filled with a glass façade.

London Aquatic Center - (c) Hufton + Crow

London Aquatic Center - (c) Hufton + Crow

London Aquatic Center - (c) Hufton + Crow

London Aquatic Center - (c) Hufton + Crow

London Aquatic Center - (c) Hufton + Crow

London Aquatic Center - (c) Hufton + Crow

London Aquatic Center - (c) Hufton + Crow

London Aquatic Center - (c) Hufton + Crow

London Aquatic Center - (c) Hufton + Crow

London Aquatic Center - (c) Hufton + Crow

London Aquatic Center - (c) Hufton + Crow

Image Courtesy Helen Binet

Image Courtesy Helen Binet

Image Courtesy Helen Binet

London Aquatic Centre

London Aquatic Centre

London Aquatic Centre

Legacy Mode

Legacy Mode

Legacy Mode

Legacy Mode

Legacy View

Floating Roof Form Junction with Podium

London Aquatics Centre Surface Contours

London Aquatics Centre Graphic

London Aquatic Center Videos:

• Uploaded by LaurieHanna2012. A quick look around the inside of the impressive London 2012 Olympics Aquatics Centre. Filmed on 27 July 2011, marking one year until the beginning of the London 2012 Games. The Aquatics Centre will hold 17,500 spectators during the Games and was designed by Zaha Hadid.

• Uploaded by darjole – An animation of the London Aquatics Center.

• Uploaded by woodgnomology – Zaha Hadid’s uniquely sculpural diving boards for the London Olympics 2012 Aquatics Centre.

More projects by Zaha Hadid

Tags: London, UK

Categories: Sports Complex, Zaha Hadid

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