Topic 6 - London Aquatics Centre, Zaha Hadid, Olympic Park, 2012

when was it originally designed?

2004

when was it built?

2005-11

who was Hadid?

London-based architect of Iraqi origin

claimed the design was inspired by...

the motion of water, reflecting the riverside location of Olympic Park

wave-like roof covers and provides...

conceptual unity to an enormous space

can fit one...and one...

Olympic-sized swimming pool and a diving pool

the roof is supported in...

three main areas, two on one side and one on the other

what type of silhouette does it make?

weightless and dynamic, suggestive of fluid movements

the original design had...

'wings' on either side, to accommodate the 17,500 spectators

after the games were over the wings were...

deconstructed to form the 'legacy mode', reducing the capacity to 3000 visitors

the wings were made with...

bolted steel

why was the steel bolted rather than welded?

for deconstruction and to be reused and recycled

the main body of the building was made using...

precast concrete cast in re-usable moulds

the roof is made from...

aluminium and structural steel, with 50% recycled materials

how many windows were fitted and what was printed on them?

628 panes were screen printed with a dot-matrix pattern to control the level of daylight and reduce glare

what would run through the steel frames of the windows and why?

hot water was run through the pipes to prevent the build up of condensation forming on the glass

a variety of 'green' measures were taken to make the design more...

eco-friendly

what are some examples of eco-friendly parts of the design?

rainwater harvesting and the reduction of the use of potable water, heat recovery and high levels of insulation

the southern end of the building sports a...

green wall to harmonise with the surrounding environment

as well as being designed for a high profile event what else does it promote?

the nation and international values

the wave reference may be seen to reflect...

britian as an island nation

inspired by the...

dollan aquatics centre in scotland

construction costing over...

£240 million

deemed a ....... by .......

'monumental waste of money' by the general public