hall within the Watercube interior of- fered a generous space, which occupied more than 10,000sq m of floor area, with a height of about 30m, and had been designated as a recreational facility post Games. During the Olympic Games, the space was used for exhibitions and con- ferences, so few permanent elements had been installed. Through clever foresight the building’s
developers had provided some infrastruc- ture to support future water attractions. However, in order to maximise the use of the volume, some alterations needed to be made. Forrec worked closely with sup- pliers to ensure that the new equipment could be woven into the fabric of the existing features in a way that satisfied both the client’s needs and the high aes- thetic goals within the project. Traditional indoor waterparks maxi-
mise space by extending water slides and raft rides outside the main hall, however, the Watercube’s thick and complex struc- tural shell made this impossible as any alteration of the building structure’s geo- metric simplicity was unthinkable. The
Issue 2 2012 © cybertrek 2012
design challenge was to confine all of the features within the building en- velope, without making them look cramped or crowded. The solution was to carefully consider all three dimensions of the space and to combine the attractions and thematic elements into one enor- mous, inter-woven composition. However, the Watercube’s vast interior
also offered some huge advantages. The unusual cellular structure that formed the building’s exterior – and the way that daylight filtered through it – strongly suggested an underwater environment in a tropical locale. So Forrec proposed an ‘underwater’ world, using large, colourful, abstracted aquatic elements that would float within the space, to cre- ate a dramatic atmosphere; unusual and sophisticated enough to complement the architecture, but playful enough to offer an entertaining environment.
How did the general public respond to the Watercube’s conversion from Games-time to legacy mode? When the Olympic Games were over,
The Watercube’s unusual cellular structure suggested an underwater environment that allowed colourful, abstract, floating elements
popular interest in the Watercube (of- ficially, the National Aquatics Center) did not diminish. Along with the Bird’s Nest (National Stadium), it immediately be- came Beijing’s hottest tourist attraction.
Has Forrec worked on other post- Olympic sports venue adaptations? At the close of the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Canada, Forrec developed a ‘Big Idea’ for the revitalisa- tion of the site and the development of new attractions. The goal was to build on its Olympic heritage and make it a premier international venue for win- ter sports training and competition. Forrec’s distinctive ‘boardwalk plan’ unified the site and now offers interac- tive attractions that allow the visitor to experience the Winter Olympic venue as a competition athlete. l
Read Sports Management online
sportsmanagement.co.uk/digital 69
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