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"TheWaterCubehasmorethan4,000bubbles,thelargestofwhichis9mindiameter."

InJuly2003,AustralianbasedarchitectsPTWandengineeringfirmOveArupwonthecontracttodesignandbuildthe2008OlympicNationalSwimmingCentreinBeijing.Constructionofthe$140mlandmarkproject,nicknamedthe"WaterCube",beganinDecember2003,andwascompletedinJanuary2008.The80,000msiteissituatedoppositethemainstadiumintheOlympicGreenPrecinct,whichliesatthenorthernmostendofBeijing'snorthsouthaxis.Thedesignoftheprojectassociateswater,asastructuralandthematicleitmotiv,withthesquare,importantinChinesetraditionandmythology.Indaytime,theWaterCubeshinesasabluetransparentspectacle,whileaftersunsetitisacrystalpieceofarchitecturewithLEDlitbubbles.Conceptuallythesquareboxandtheinteriorspacesarecarvedoutofanundefinedclusteroffoambubbles,symbolisingaconditionofnaturethatistransformedintoaconditionofculture.Theoverallappearanceoftheaquaticcentreisacubeofwatermolecules.WaterCubedesignhistoryArchitectsPTWandengineeringgroupOveArup,bothbasedinSydney,designedtheWaterCubeinpartnershipwiththeChinaStateConstructionEngineeringCorporation(CSCEC)andtheCSCECShenzhenDesignInstitute(CSCEC+DESIGN).Aswellasprovidingamultifunctionalaquaticscentre,thebriefrequiredextensiveuseofdigitaltechnology,energyreductionandwatersavingmethods,aswellastheincorporationofnewconstructionmaterials.Withproposalsfromtencountries,includingChina,theUS,Japan,theUKandGermany,threedesignswereshortlistedforthedesigncompetition.TheseweresubmittedbyChinese

WaterCubeNationalAquaticsCentre,China

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"TheWaterCubewasoneofthetwomainvenuesforthe2008

architects,ShanghaiXianDaiArchitecturalDesign,RafaelVinolyArchitectsfromtheUSandthesubsequentcollaborativeChineseAustralianwinningdesign.ThewinningWaterCube,thefocalpointoftheswimmingcentregrounds,measures176moneachside,risingtoaheightof31m.Itholds6,000permanentseatswithcapacityforanadditional11,000temporaryseatstoaccommodateOlympicGamesspectators.DesigndetailsTheOveArup/PTWdesignplaysonthegeometryofwaterbubbleswithinasquareform.Thestructure'sshapeisspecificallydesignedtoworkinharmonywiththecircularmainOlympicstadiumbytheSwissarchitecturalteamofHerzog&deMeuronArchitektenwithChinaArchitectureDesignandResearchGroupandArupSportLondon,knownasthe"Bird'sNest",givingtheareaavisual"yinandyang"balance.ThesquareformwasalsousedinacknowledgementofitssignificanceinChineseculture,architectureandtownplanning.TherearetwopartstotheWaterCube'sstructuralframeworkinternalandexternal.Theexternalstructureformstheactualroof,ceilingandwallsandcomprisesaflatwebofrectangularboxedsections.Thesesectionsarethencladwiththeinflatablematerialtransparent"teflon"materialknownasethylenetetrafluoroethylene(ETFE).Theinternalsteelframeisbasedontheuniquegeometryofbiologicalcellsorsoapbubbles.OveArupandPTWbasedthis"soapbubbles"structuralconceptonasolutionfromtwoIrishprofessorsofphysicsatTrinityCollege,Dublin,knownastheWeairePhelanstructure,wherebyarecurringpatternofpolyhedronsispackedtogethertooccupyathreedimensionalspaceinthemostefficientwaypossible.Over22,000stainlesssteelmembersformthesidesofthese"bubbles",whichareweldedatthejointstomorethan12,000sphericalsteelnodes.Thebenefitofthisframedesign,aswellasresemblingwaterbubbles,isthatitisideallysuitedtotheseismicconditionsfoundinBeijing.WaterCubechallengesOneofthechallengesencounteredbythedesignerswasconvincingChineseauthoritiesofthevalueofETFE.

TherewerealotofmythsabouttheuseofETFE,regardingthematerialgrowingmouldandbeingineffectiveinmutingexternalnoise,whichhadtobedispelled.PTWmanagingdirectorJohnBilmonandhisteamputtheclaimstobedbyconductingextensivetestsandmakingsomeadjustmentstothematerialthatwould

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BeijingSummerOlympics."

reducetheacousticimpactofoutsidenoise.Thematerialwasalsoshowntobesuperiorintermsoflightingandthermalefficiency,andwillprotecttheinternalsteelmembersfromexposuretotheharshchlorinated

aquaticenvironmentpreventingtheircorrosion.TheuseofETFEwillhelpthebuildinglastforabout100years.ThetransmissionoflightandstrengthoftheETFEmembranedeterioratesfarlessthanothermaterials.Themembraneisresistanttofireandsevereheat,andpossessesductilityandcrushingresistance.Itisselfcleaninginnatureasthefrictioncoefficientofthematerialpreventsthedustfromformingalayeronthematerialandraincaneasilyclearawaythedust.Thebuilding'senveloperequired100,000mofETFE,makingitthelargestETFEstructureintheworld.TheETFEusedwasproducedbyVectorFoiltecofGermanyandYuandaGroupofShengyang,China.Thevenue'sdesignasanenclosedswimminggymnasiumcouldhaveledtohighhumidity.Thiswasaddressedbytakinganewapproachtotheairconditioningsystem.Astringenttemperatureandhumiditycontrolsystem,andarecycledhotwatersystemwereincorporatedintothedesign.Thesehelptoairconditionthepublicareaandtheswimmingpool.Indoorandoutdoorairrecyclingsystems,solarenergysystemsanddeckventilationsystemsmaintainacomfortableclimateandhumidityof50%60%inthevenue.Thedesignersalsohadtopreventdewdropfromtheceiling,whichcouldaffecttheswimmersinthepoolordiversonthespringboard.TheETFEandairconditioningsystemshavepartiallyhelpedtopreventdewdropping.Moreover,thebuilding'sairsupply,returninletsandexhaustoutletsimprovetheventilationintheupperspacesofthebuilding.EnvironmentalconsiderationsWhereswimmingpoolsystemsusuallypumpwaterintothelocalwastewaternetworksastheybackwashtheirfiltrationsystems,theBeijingschemerunsthebackwashwaterthroughatwostagefiltrationsystembeforereturningitbacktotheswimmingpools.ThissystemishighlywaterefficientinthefaceofBeijing'ssporadicrainfallpatternsandpotentiallowwaterlevels.Theequipmentusedforthewatersystemwasnotthespecificequipmentoriginallysuggestedbythedesigners.Locallymanufacturedhydraulicequipmentthatmetdesignrequirementswasusedinitsplace.TheETFEcladdingletsinsolarheat,reducingenergycostsbyupto30%.ThedesignoftheWaterCubeallows140,000tofrecycledwatertobesavedayear.

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"TheWaterCubeislargestETFEstructureintheworld."

Thespacebetweentheairpillowwallshasbeencompletelysealedoffcreatingalayerofinsulation.Duringsummer,a1mhighventregulatestheindoortemperatureofthebuildingthroughheatexchangebydrawingouttheinsidewarmairandlettingintheoutsidecoolair.Theventissealedoffduringwintermaintainingthewarmtemperatureinsidethevenue.ConstructionAtthetimeofdesign,PTWandOveArupenvisagedthehighlydetailedstructuralmemberstobemanufacturedoffsiteandboltedtogetheronsite,howeveramoretraditionalconstructionapproachwastakenbypartnersCSCEC.Theroofandwallswereconstructedineastweststripsonsite,whichwerethenmovedintoposition.Thisenabledworktoproceedonthebuildingandroofconstructionsimultaneouslywhilepreventingtheneedforanycranesorscaffoldingwithinthepoolhalls,whichmayhavedamagedthepoolstructuresandfinishes,buttheapproach,saysBilmon,mayhavecontributedtothedelayedcompletiondate.ThelandmarkbuildinghasbeenusedsincetheGamesasamultipurposeleisureandswimmingcentrethat,aswellasswimmingpools,includesagym,iceskatingfacilitiesandacinema.TheWaterCubehostedtheswimming,divingandsynchronisedswimmingeventsduringtheBeijingSummerOlympics2008.TheBeijingOlympicssaw25worldrecordsbrokenintheAquaticsCentre.TheWaterCubehostedsoundandlightshowsinsummer2009andbecameaballettheatretohostSwanLake.Itwasclosedtothepublicforrenovationsfrom15October2009.

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TheWaterCubeexteriorismadeupofatransparentdualETFEcushion

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envelope.

TheWaterCubeisnowusedasanathleticscentreforcitizensofBeijing.

ThedesignofthelandscapethatsurroundstheWaterCubeisinspiredbytheconceptofacubebeingdroppedintoabodyofwater.

TheWaterCube,thefocalpointoftheaquaticscentregrounds,measures176moneachside,risingtoaheightof31m.

TheWaterCube'sinternalsteelframeisbasedontheuniquegeometryofbiologicalcellsorsoapbubbles.

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Aswellasresemblingwaterbubbles,TheWaterCube'sframeisideallysuitedtotheseismicconditionsfoundinBeijing.

TheeventualacceptanceofthefuturisticlookingETFEisindicativeofChina'sforwardthinkingmentality.

OveArupandPTWbasedthe"soapbubbles"structuralconceptonasolutionfromtwoIrishprofessorsofphysicsatTrinityCollege,Dublin,knownastheWeairePhelanstructure.

TheWaterCubewillbeusedbothbeforeandaftertheGamesasamultipurposeleisureandswimmingcentre.

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