The Beijing Perfecting the combination of function and design

National Aquatics
Centre has been Creating the greenhouse Water conservation Structural building blocks
The building comprises 4,000 pillows. The Steel gutters are spread over The internal steel frame provides the most space
dubbed the Water semi-transparent membrane of the ETFE allows in the roof to collect rainwater. possible in a three-dimensional area. Architects used
Cube thanks to its more sunlight than glass. When in pillow form, They can collect as much as a recurring pattern of polyhedrons to mimic the
spectacular design it is also a better insulator, trapping 90% of 10,500m³ a year and additional natural structure of ‘soap bubbles’, as seen in the
resembling a vast solar heat energy. This reduces energy pool backwash systems ensure diagrams on the right
iridescent box of costs by 30% and lights the venue for 80% of the building’s water is
nine hours a day reused
bubbles. The Two 12-sided and six 14-sided polyhedra
venue for the 90% solar energy enters form one unit
Olympic through ETFE membrane
swimming and
diving events, the Pillows on outer steel frame 177m
bubble structure
Pillows on inner steel frame
helps it to act as
an insulated Interior cavity separates layers
greenhouse. It is
formed of outer
and inner steel
frames both clad
with air-filled Engineers used computer-aided design
Olympic 31m
technology to build a cube from repetition
pillows of a special pool of the unit
plastic membrane Sunlight Regulating temperature
called ETFE. Cool air is pumped through
These pillows the cavity between the
create the outer pillow layers in summer to
bubblewrap stop excess heat reaching
interior. Pillows can also
appearance and
Cool air store warm air. This prevents
let in and trap too much heat reaching the
solar energy to pool in summer yet in winter
light and heat the Pool it can be pumped into the
Pillows store
temperature Cube as needed
venue excess heat Grandstands —
28 degrees Once the cube was formed, the design tool
6,000 permanent
Diving seats, 11,000 removed the internal units to leave only the
platforms temporary geometry of a steel frame