“Watercube” – National Swimming Centre in Beijing
This shimmering blue cube – the venue for the Olympic swimming events in Beijing in 2008 – has a side length of 177 m and a height of 31 m above street level. Linking the leitmotif of water with the square (the traditional and mythological form of the Chinese house), the cube will enter into a dialogue with the red oval National Stadium by Herzog & de Meuron situated opposite. The lightweight construction reflects the geometric structure of water in a foam-like state. Water flows from the plinth into a peripheral moat in which the rear-lighted, bubble-like cube is reflected, doubling its height. The two-layer ETFE construction of the skin is also used to divide the 80,000 m² area into three rectangular functional zones.
