If London wins its bid for the 2012 Olympic Games, a swimming pool designed by architect Zaha Hadid will become its first venue.
Hadid has won the battle to design the aquatics centre, which would form part of the proposed Olympic Park in east London’s Lower Lea Valley.
The proposed location for the centre is Carpenters Road in Statford, E15.
The design, which features an S-shaped roof inspired by the flow of water, includes two 50m competition pools and a competition diving pool. It would also have 20,000 spectator seats.
Ken Livingstone, mayor of London, said: “A London Olympic Games in 2012 would be the greatest sporting spectacle the world has ever seen. It would transform the Lower Lea Valley and create a lasting legacy of cutting-edge sporting venues for the capital and the nation.
“Zaha Hadid’s exceptional winning design gives a taste of just what we can offer and makes London’s bid to host the Games even more compelling.”
Chief executive of London 2012 Keith Mills added: “This is an outstanding design that would create a spectacular building. It would deliver the essential wow factor for the 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games.
“It would then be cleverly transformed following the Games by taking away the majority of the 20,000 seats. It could then be turned into more intimate spaces suitable for community use.”
Lord Rogers, of the Richard Rogers Partnership, who co-chaired the panel that chose the design, said: “This building has an exceptional sculptural quality that will make it a wonderful building to visit, attracting people to east London. It sets the standard for architectural quality in this key regeneration area.”
Zaha Hadid, who is the Laureate for the Pritzker Architects Prize 2004, is working with engineers Ove Arup and Partners and swimming pool architects S&P on the project.
References: EGi News 01/02/05
