While the focus of attention during the London 2012 Olympic Games was quite rightly on the athletes, the venues in which the competitions took place were also medal-winning and Geberit was delighted to play a key role in the construction of one of the most iconic buildings of the Olympics – the Aquatics Centre.
The first of the buildings on the grounds of the 2012 Olympic Games to be completed, the Aquatics Centre was designed by Zaha Hadid Architects, with Geberit piping systems being specified to fulfil the most demanding of briefs.
The building, which was in the public eye around the world for the duration of the three-week long sporting event, features a curved, parabola-shaped roofline, whilst the ceiling, walls and windows inside the building also undulate, in an attempt by the architect to emulate the flowing movement of water.
With the world’s eye watching to ensure each of the venues for London 2012 was completed in time for the athletes’ arrival, specifiers working on the Aquatics Centre, which with its curving roof proved to be one of the most complex engineering challenges of the Olympic Park construction, chose Geberit pipework, as it more than fulfilled their requirements for reliability, ease of installation and sustainability. Another important requirement was for the flexibility of the pipework which needed to adapt and fit to the unsual shape of the building.
Geberit’s Duofix installation system, along with Geberit HDPE, Mapress Carbon Steel and Mapress Copper piping systems all played a key role in the foundations of the Aquatics Centre, ensuring that the fixtures and fittings that the public didn’t get to see were just as quality as the architectural results that were beamed around the world on televisions and over the internet.
The longevity of the products installed in the venue was key to their specification, as with the Olympic medals all handed out, the Aquatics Centre remains as a permanent structure
