BEIJING, Jan 28 - China officially unveiled its bubble-wrapped National Aquatics Centre, nicknamed the "Water Cube", on Monday, one of the two iconic venues for this year's Beijing Olympics.

 

　　BEIJING, Jan 28 - China officially unveiled its bubble-wrapped National Aquatics Centre, nicknamed the "Water Cube", on Monday, one of the two iconic venues for this year's Beijing Olympics.

　　The imposing rectangular box, clad in a honeycomb of transparent cushions, will host the swimming, diving and synchronised swimming during the Aug. 8-24 sporting spectacular.

　　The 1.03 billion yuan ($143.2 million) complex does not yet match the "dreamlike and water-blue building" of the official description and the ETFE pneumatic cushions clearly need a clean to get rid of the grime of construction.

　　There was no disguising, however, the delight of the officials in the completion of the complicated structure, which was designed by an Australian consortium and on which work started in 2003.

　　"I feel very excited and proud of this venue," Li Aiqing, president of the Beijing State-Owned Assets Management Company, told reporters.

　　"It is one of the biggest swimming centres in the world. The whole project is complex and unique. After five years of effort, we are very, very happy."

　　The "Water Cube" was a unique project for the Beijing Games in that it was funded by contributions from "overseas Chinese", including $25 million from late Hong Kong billionaire Henry Fok and his family.

　　The pool, where American Michael Phelps could become the first man to win eight gold medals at one Games, sits flush by the diving pool, where China hopes to scoop a bundle of medals.

　　But it is to the ceiling of cushions above the 17,000 seats -- 11,000 of them temporary -- that the eye is constantly drawn.

　　KALEIDOSCOPE OF COLOUR

　　The building will perhaps be at its best at night when an LED system with 16.7 million tones will turn the arena into a vibrant kaleidoscope of colour both inside and out.

　　"Mostly it is a building of water, so we'll mainly use the colours of water," said Zheng Fang, chief architect with China Construction Designs International.

　　The most tricky part of maintaining the venue is cleaning the interior, which will be done once or twice a year by workers suspended on cables, Li said.

　　Rainfall will provide all the necessary cleaning for the exterior and bird excrement will not be a problem, Zheng added.

　　"Birds never sit on transparent surfaces so there's no danger of them soiling it," he said.

　　The centre will host its first test event with the China Open swimming competition, which starts on Thursday.

　　The second showpiece venue of the Games, the neighbouring 91,000-seater National Stadium, or "Bird's Nest", is scheduled for completion by the end of March.

(BEIJING, January 28) -- The blue-colored National Aquatics Center (NAC), nicknamed the "Water Cube" and located by Beijing's North Fourth Ring Road, was inaugurated and delivered for use on the morning of January 28, 2008.

It took over four years to construct the Olympic venue, which is a new landmark in Beijing.

The project's ETFE air cushion structures are the first of their kind to be used in China and the largest and most complicated membrane system in any single project in the world.

With the efforts of various participants, many scientific and technical difficulties were overcome. Among the achievements, nine important self-dependent innovations resolved world-class difficult topics related to the project's steel structures, membrane structures and inner layout, formulated related work procedures and technical regulations, and filled in the gap in China's field of architecture.

Also, the NAC is the only Olympic venue to be funded by donations from compatriots. It reflects the great unity of the Chinese at home and abroad to stage the Olympic Games through joint efforts.

Located on the southern part of the central area of the Olympic Green in Beijing, the NAC has a planned construction area of 6.95 hectares. Being adjacent to the central axis of the city, the NAC is situated on par with the National Stadium, at an equal distance to the axis.

The NAC's Games-time construction area is close to 80,000 square meters, containing 17,000 standard seats, including 6,000 permanent seats and 11,000 temporary ones. During the 2008 Olympic Games, it will produce 42 gold medals in swimming, diving and synchronized swimming.

After the Olympics, it will be converted into a multi-functional facility for sports, culture and recreation, featuring a "water setting" for members of society.

On January 31, the NAC will host its first Good Luck Beijing sport event -- the 2008 Swimming China Open.

Timeline of events for the National Aquatics Center (NAC):

-- In July 2003, the design project of the NAC is officially settled.

-- On December 24, 2003, the NAC breaks ground and begins earthworks.

-- In May 2005, the NAC's main concrete structure is completed.

-- In June 2005, installation of the steel structure begins in the NAC.

-- On April 10, 2006, the main structure of the NAC is topped off, and its steel structure is installed.

-- On June 16, 2006, the supportive structures of the NAC are removed.

-- On August 1, 2006, the first air cushion is installed on the NAC.

-- On December 26, 2006, the membrane structures are installed on the outside of the NAC.

-- In January 2007, the decoration and fit-up process begins in the NAC.

-- In March 2007, the municipal engineering works begin in the NAC.

-- In September 2007, the electro-mechanical equipment is installed in the NAC.

-- On January 28, 2008, the NAC is inaugurated and delivered for use.