London Aquatics Centre, London Olympics 2012

London Aquatics Centre will be the main venue for water sports during the 2012 London Olympic Games and Paralympic Games. This state-of-the-art centre will have two 50-meter swimming pool and a 25-meter diving pool.

The London Aquatics Centre was designed by the Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid. It was built by at a cost of £269 million. Construction began in July 2008, and the facility was completed on 27 July, 2011. Its three pools hold a total of 10 million liters of water.

Between the time when the London Aquatics Centre was first envisioned until when the contract was awarded, the cost has risen to three times the original estimate, even though the size has been reduced. The roof was originally stated to occupy 35,000 sq ft, but with the redesign, it only occupies 11,200 sq ft.

The London Aquatics Centre will host the swimming, diving, synchronized swimming and water polo events during the Olympic Games and the swimming event during the Paralympic Games. It has a seating capacity of 17,500 spectators.

After the Games are over, the London Aquatics Centre will be renovated for public use. As part of the renovation, the seating capacity will be reduced to just 2,500 after the Games.

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