DarJoLe Posted November 27, 2006 Report Share Posted November 27, 2006 From AJPlus.co.uk Published 27 November 2006 at 11:46 Zaha reveals radical changes to Olympic Aquatics Centre – images The Olympic Delivery Agency has revealed the latest images of Zaha Hadid and S&P Architects’ plans for the Aquatics Centre for the 2012 Games. The reasons behind these changes are not yet clear, as a press conference discussing the new images is still underway. However, there have been ongoing rumours of rows between Hadid’s office and ODA officials about costs and design complexity. by Ed Dorrell Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rafa Posted November 27, 2006 Report Share Posted November 27, 2006 reminds me of my design... just beautiful...still going to be visiting london in 2012...and ill still be booking my seat for most aquatic events...perhaps they could redesign the surrounding bridges and pathways to match the shape and symmetry of the roof Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rafa Posted November 27, 2006 Report Share Posted November 27, 2006 Old design Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheOtherRob Posted November 27, 2006 Report Share Posted November 27, 2006 Preferred the old design and compared to that, this looks rather unspectacular. But it's still good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rafa Posted November 27, 2006 Report Share Posted November 27, 2006 def preferred the old design...but to have a large roof over four pools? its just not realistic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheOtherRob Posted November 27, 2006 Report Share Posted November 27, 2006 Large images - download here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baron-pierreIV Posted November 27, 2006 Report Share Posted November 27, 2006 def preferred the old design...but to have a large roof over four pools? its just not realistic. Plus, you need some ceiling height for Diving and because it's roofed, a few more feet to hang the lights. Actually, I prefer the old design. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rafa Posted November 27, 2006 Report Share Posted November 27, 2006 i think most people prefer the old design...theres more roof,its more dramatic..but that was the "vote for us IOC members" design. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colonel Iredale Posted November 27, 2006 Report Share Posted November 27, 2006 reminds me of my design...just beautiful...still going to be visiting london in 2012...and ill still be booking my seat for most aquatic events...perhaps they could redesign the surrounding bridges and pathways to match the shape and symmetry of the roof Could you repost your design? or post a link? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Posted November 27, 2006 Report Share Posted November 27, 2006 The old design does look better, but the new one is very similar. It was estimated in the London Evening Standard today that it would cost £50 million less. Just because of the price tag, I prefer this one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cube Posted November 27, 2006 Report Share Posted November 27, 2006 the old design is amazing the new design is still cool, but with the old design in my mind.................... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
its a bid of magic Posted November 27, 2006 Report Share Posted November 27, 2006 It's okay, but what's with the scafolding left on the outside of it? It would look better without that. Of course the Old design looks better, but things that cost alot more, generally do. lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Rols Posted November 27, 2006 Report Share Posted November 27, 2006 Maybe I'm the only one, but I actually like the new design better. Whatever the preference, both designs are beautiful and graceful, and if they can save money, of course they shouold go for the cheaper one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arwebb Posted November 27, 2006 Report Share Posted November 27, 2006 Exactly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rafa Posted November 27, 2006 Report Share Posted November 27, 2006 i love the scaffolding...its a contrast to the symmetry and was always a part of the design, its there to support the temporary seats and i think its fantastic, it gives the aquatic centre an outdoorsy feel yet maintaining the indoor feel around the competition pools Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Tower Bridge Fox Posted November 27, 2006 Report Share Posted November 27, 2006 I Like the new design, it looks like a fish in motion,or the wake from a boat Its very aquatic. I Like the new design, it looks like a fish in motion,or the wake from a boatIts very aquatic. Its works better from different angles, Very streamline Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adriane17 Posted November 28, 2006 Report Share Posted November 28, 2006 i like the design and thank god london will have one new iconic venue designed by a world class architect. would have prefered the original - but there you go! my main problem with this is that there is no overall architect in charge of the vision for the olympic park - instead you have a bunch of architectural practices (Foreign Office etc) fighting it out. also the main stadium really worries me. IMO the architects HOK just churn out bog standard stadia (such as the sydney stadium - sorry all you sydneysiders!). london will not get a calatrava or a herzog and meuron extravaganza! a lost chance if you ask me! you can't do the olympics on the cheap - it costs money! i really feel that what we will get is a dumbed down olympic park with no aesthetics - just because its cheaper and less risky. i honestly feel that what will be delivered will be akin to an out of town retail park - which will be a lost opportunity for East London and the nation alike. i read the other day that they ran an international competition for the velodrome only to tell the winning architect that the design was no longer needed as the cost was too high! so what will we get some sort of indutrial air craft hanger type thingy? it's just symptomatic of governmental attitudes to design in the uk - ie the cheaper the better! this has been the same for every government since the war! i understand that costs need to be kept in check - it is just a little dissappointing from an architectural point of view! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheOtherRob Posted November 28, 2006 Report Share Posted November 28, 2006 I always quite liked Sydney's stadium. I think, although it may not be to everyone's taste, London's park will be much closer to Sydney's than Athens' in design. I don't mind that - I always thought that, despite the nice architecture, Athens looked like a building site with no greenery. I think if the Aquatics centre is anything to go by, we'll be alright. Having said that, the Olympic Park has a lot to live up to if it is going to match the existing venues - Wembley (the football finals stadium will inevitably dwarf the centrepiece Olympic stadium, which is slightly odd), Wimbledon, the Dome, Lords etc. I think the biggest problem, therefore, will be creating a sense that the Games is "as one" and not split between a functional Olympic park built out of necessity and grand old venues dripping with history and sporting tradition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rafa Posted November 28, 2006 Report Share Posted November 28, 2006 Zaha, caught out as Aquatic Centre design original found Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mainad Posted November 28, 2006 Report Share Posted November 28, 2006 BBC story on the revised design for the Aquatics Centre: London scales down 2012 pool plan The London 2012 Olympics aquatics centre will be smaller than originally planned in order to save costs. Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell sent the designer "back to the drawing board" last December as the original £75m budget looked set to double. The wave-shaped roof will now be 14,000 square feet, which is just over a third of the original 35,000 square feet. The original capacity of 20,000 seats will remain with 15,000 for the main pool and 5,000 for the diving pool. Olympics chiefs say the final cost cannot be revealed at the moment due to commercial sensitivities. London 2012 chairman Sebastian Coe said: "We are on schedule to deliver this landmark venue and as Tessa said last week the budget for the design and construction of all the venues are broadly in line with the out-turn costs prepared. This will provide both a functional and beautiful venue for the Games Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell: "We hope people will understand that we cannot put these figures in to the public domain at this stage as negotiations with design and construction companies are either under way or about to begin." The aquatics centre is the first major venue to go to the detailed design stage and contractors are already working on the site to prepare the land for construction to start in mid-2008. The venue is due to be completed in the summer of 2011 and will have two 50-metre pools, one for training and one for competition, plus a diving pool. During the Olympics and Paralympics it will host all the swimming and diving events apart from water polo, and after the Games it will be converted into a 2,500-seat complex with the potential to add in a further 1,000 temporary seats for European events. Jowell said in a statement that the design, by architect Zaha Hadid, was "inspirational". She said: "This will provide both a functional and beautiful venue for the Games, a legacy for the local community and will, no doubt, in time become a distinctive landmark in the Olympic Park." London mayor Ken Livingstone added: "Zaha and her team have carefully recrafted their original concept and produced a truly world class aquatics centre design." I guess it makes a nice change to hear of an example where Jowell and co are endeavouring to save money! The trick,of course,will be to stage the Olympics as cheaply as possible without ever making them look cheap!! http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_spor...012/6187774.stm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baron-pierreIV Posted November 28, 2006 Report Share Posted November 28, 2006 Hey, want cheaper options? 1. Do it a la Athens - skip the roof. 2. Do it like the US championships in 2004. Hold it in a parking lot and everything is temporary. That did the job. Besides, how many medals will the UK win in Swimming anyway? 3? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Tower Bridge Fox Posted November 28, 2006 Report Share Posted November 28, 2006 i like the design and thank god london will have one new iconic venue designed by a world class architect. would have prefered the original - but there you go! my main problem with this is that there is no overall architect in charge of the vision for the olympic park - instead you have a bunch of architectural practices (Foreign Office etc) fighting it out. also the main stadium really worries me. IMO the architects HOK just churn out bog standard stadia (such as the sydney stadium - sorry all you sydneysiders!). london will not get a calatrava or a herzog and meuron extravaganza! a lost chance if you ask me! you can't do the olympics on the cheap - it costs money! i really feel that what we will get is a dumbed down olympic park with no aesthetics - just because its cheaper and less risky. i honestly feel that what will be delivered will be akin to an out of town retail park - which will be a lost opportunity for East London and the nation alike. i read the other day that they ran an international competition for the velodrome only to tell the winning architect that the design was no longer needed as the cost was too high! so what will we get some sort of indutrial air craft hanger type thingy? it's just symptomatic of governmental attitudes to design in the uk - ie the cheaper the better! this has been the same for every government since the war! i understand that costs need to be kept in check - it is just a little dissappointing from an architectural point of view! I don’t think the quality of a design is dependent on the amount of money spent on it. I think adriane17 its right to criticize to much political involvement especially in creative processes, But I don’t agree adriane17s apocalyptic prediction of the end outcome ,I know because I live next to a retail park by the north circular ,and I know the Olympic park isn’t going to look like that. I also think that with facilities and a legesy that works for athletes being one of the Olympics main themes Good design with a purpose isn’t a bad thing, and can looking more beautiful not less. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
its a bid of magic Posted November 28, 2006 Report Share Posted November 28, 2006 Besides, how many medals will the UK win in Swimming anyway? 3? It's not the winning that counts, it's the taking part..... and if you believe that you'll believe anything lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Tower Bridge Fox Posted November 29, 2006 Report Share Posted November 29, 2006 It's not the winning that counts, it's the taking part..... and if you believe that you'll believe anything lol ah but without the taking part there can be no winning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mainad Posted November 29, 2006 Report Share Posted November 29, 2006 Besides, how many medals will the UK win in Swimming anyway? 3? Haven't you heard,the plan is to lower the water temperature to suit the Brits.It'll be much too cold for you Yanks and Aussies,you'll barely be able to swim a length! But us hardy Brits are used to the cold so we will prevail and will likely top the medal podium in all the swimming events!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.