The Water Cube is located in Beijing China, and was the site of the aquatic events at the 2008 Summer Olympics. If you watched any of the Games, you should have remembered it, as Michael Phelps won eight gold medals in that building.
The design of the Water Cube is patterned after the patterns of cells and soap bubbles. ETFE pillows create a bubble effect. The bubbles collect solar energy and help heat the swimming pools.
ETFE, or Ethylene Tetrafluoroethylene, is a fluorine based plastic that is both resistant to corrosion and accelerates temperatures. The only problem with the material is that is very combustible. Strict codes and security measures accompanied the Games in order to eliminate incidents. The exhaust systems in the building had to be redirected as well to avoid a problem with the ETFE.
The designers and builders for The Cube consisted of PTW Architects of Australia, CSCEC International Design, Arup Structural Engineers and CSCEC (China State Construction Engineering Corporation). These companies came together to create on of the most unique and modern buildings ever created.
The Cube has a 65,000-80,000 square metre floor area with 6,000 permanent seats and 11,000 temporary seats. The building was designed for swimming, diving, synchronized swimming, and water-polo.
The Cube was the home for swimming, diving, and synchronized swimming at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics. The building has three pools under one big roof. It has all the latest technology in place to put it among the fastest pools in the world.
The Water Cube, along with many of the other modern day Olympic Games venues, have been built with an intentional desire to keep things green and to conserve water.