The London Aquatics Centre, designed by renowned architect Zaha Hadid, stands as one of the most striking architectural legacies of the 2012 London Olympics. Completed in 2011, the building embodies Hadid’s signature fluid design language while serving as a world-class swimming facility.
The building’s most distinctive feature is its spectacular wave-like roof, which sweeps up from the ground in a graceful curve that seems to defy gravity. The roof spans 160 meters in length and 80 meters in width, its fluid form inspired by the movement of water. During design development, Hadid described wanting to create a structure that reflected the fluid geometries of water in motion.
The original competition design was adapted significantly for the Olympics while maintaining its architectural integrity. For the 2012 Games, the building featured temporary wings that increased the seating capacity from 2,500 to 17,500. These “water wings” were removed in 2014 during the venue’s transformation to legacy mode, revealing the more elegant permanent structure beneath.
Structurally, the building is a remarkable feat of engineering. The roof, which weighs 3,000 tonnes, is supported by just three concrete cores, with its spans achieved through a complex steel framework. The roof’s steel structure consists of steel trusses arranged in a longitudinal format with spans of up to 120 meters, making it one of the most ambitious pool covers ever built.
The interior of the building is equally impressive. The main pool hall contains three pools: a 50-meter competition pool, a 25-meter diving pool, and a 50-meter training pool. The pools feature moveable floors and booms, allowing the spaces to be reconfigured for different uses. The diving pool has a “dry” diving area equipped with harnesses for training.
The building’s environmental credentials were paramount in its design. The roof includes natural lighting through strategically placed windows, reducing the need for artificial lighting. The pools’ water is filtered and recycled, and the building includes sophisticated environmental control systems to maintain optimal conditions while minimizing energy use.
The exterior of the building features extensive glazing, creating a visual connection between the interior and exterior spaces. The glass walls offer spectacular views of the Olympic Park (now Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park) while flooding the interior with natural light. The undulating roof form appears to float above these transparent walls.
Post-Olympics, the building underwent a significant transformation to convert it into a public swimming facility. This included the removal of the temporary seating wings and the installation of new glazing and facilities. The conversion demonstrated the success of the original design’s flexibility and its ability to adapt from an Olympic venue to a community facility.
The materials used in the building reflect both practical and aesthetic considerations. The roof is clad in aluminum panels, while the interior features extensive use of concrete and wood. The pool hall’s ceiling is lined with timber, helping to control acoustics while providing visual warmth.
The approach to the building is carefully considered, with a plaza that allows the dramatic form to be appreciated from various angles. The landscape design integrates the building with the surrounding park, with the roof form appearing to emerge from the ground plane.
Inside, the spatial arrangement is highly functional while maintaining architectural drama. The main pool hall is a vast, column-free space that allows uninterrupted views of all pool areas. The diving boards are treated as sculptural elements, integrating with the overall architectural composition.
Today, the London Aquatics Centre serves as both a high-performance training facility and a public swimming venue. It continues to host major swimming and diving competitions while providing swimming lessons and public sessions to the local community. The building demonstrates how Olympic venues can successfully transition to legacy use while maintaining architectural excellence.
The building has won numerous architectural awards and is considered one of Zaha Hadid’s finest works. It represents a perfect synthesis of dramatic form and practical function, creating an inspiring space for both elite athletes and recreational swimmers. Its success has influenced subsequent aquatics facility design worldwide, showing how bold architecture can enhance sporting venues.
The London Aquatics Centre stands as a testament to innovative design and engineering, proving that municipal sports facilities need not be utilitarian in their architecture. It remains one of the most significant architectural achievements of the 2012 Olympics and continues to serve as an important part of London’s sporting infrastructure.
Author: Jonathan Thomas
Jonathan is a consummate Anglophile who launched Anglotopia.net in 2007 to channel his passion for Britain. Londontopia is its sister publication dedicated to everything London.