Aquatics venue

Location

Located in the south east corner of the Olympic Park, the Aquatics Centre will be the ‘gateway’ to the Park during the Games. It will include a 50m competition pool, a 25m competition Diving pool and a 50m warm-up training pool. Water Polo will be held next to it in a temporary 5,000-seat venue with competition and warm-up pools.

Getting ready

Detailed designs for the venue by architect Zaha Hadid were released in November 2006, in line with the design competition held in early 2005.

In 2007 we prepared the ground for construction. All the buildings have been demolished and the soil in the area is being cleaned and sorted for reuse on the Park site.

Archaeological investigations have been completed and 550m of new river walls have been installed to widen the river to the south west of the Centre.

A planning application for the Aquatics Centre was submitted in January 2008, following consultation to ensure the Aquatics Centre meets the needs of the local community after the Games. The process included three public drop-in sessions, letters to residents living near the Park and a targeted public consultation workshops.

In April 2008 Balfour Beatty won the contract to build the Centre and planning permission was granted in May 2008. Construction started in July 2008, two months ahead of schedule and will finish in 2011, in time for Test Events before the Games.

During the Games

The Aquatics Centre will host a range of events including Swimming, Synchronised Swimming, Diving, Water Polo finals and the aquatics discipline of the Modern Pentathlon in the Olympic Games. For the Paralympic Games it will be the venue for the Swimming competition.


The capacity will be 17,500 seats for the main competition pool and Diving, and 5,000 seats for the Water Polo venue

After the Games

The Aquatics Centre will be transformed into a facility for both community and elite use. The temporary seating will be removed, leaving 2,500 seats - with the capacity to be increased for major competitions. The local community, clubs and schools will be able to use the Centre. A ‘leisure water’ facility will also be provided; this will be developed after the Games by the London Development Agency.


The Aquatics Centre will also have a crèche, family-friendly changing facilities and a café alongside a new public plaza in front of the building.

The Centre will be part of Stratford City and, along with other projects in the area, will help regenerate the Lower Lea Valley.

Transport

Located close to Stratford Regional and Stratford International stations, the Aquatics Centre will be easily accessible by public transport. To help maintain our commitment to encourage sustainable travel, covered bicycle bays will be provided close to the venue.

Most pedestrians will enter the Park on bridges built on either side of the plaza. After the Games these will provide important pedestrian connections from Stratford into the Park.

Sustainability

The impact of the building on the environment is being reduced by the use of renewable energy, sustainably sourced building materials and the reuse of pool water to flush the toilets.