As part of the post Games transformation of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, the iconic Aquatics Centre is being transformed by main contractor Balfour Beatty to reveal its intended architectural design.
But with this came the sustainable challenge of recycling 50% and reusing 50% of the materials being removed including the huge temporary stands. With sustainability in mind, the stands have been dismantled and are being moved to a new home – at a racecourse in Miami.
One of the focal points of the 2012 Olympic Games, the Aquatics Centre’s stunning wave-shaped roof was flanked by 42 metre high temporary stands on either side which are being removed and replaced with glazed elevations to reveal, for the first time, the stunning Zaha Hadid architects designed building.
Through the use of the SPS (Sandwich Plate System) terraces, Balfour Beatty helped to deliver a uniquely demountable structure which had the feel of a permanent venue but also gave the client the opportunity for the whole structure to be reused after the games.
Representing another milestone in sustainable construction and a valuable Olympic legacy, the demountable terracing has been dismantled by specialist contractor Scafform Event Services and will be reused as a permanent system across the Atlantic at the Gulfstream Racecourse in Miami Florida.
“The Gulfstream Racecourse is currently undergoing a major redevelopment which will include the addition of two new sections of grandstand seating,” commented Edward McCarthy of Scafform Event Services. “The demountable all-steel structure from the Aquatic Centre will prove ideal as a permanent grandstand at the Miami course.”
"The Olympic Delivery Authorities’ approach to the London 2012 programme and their sustainability targets have set newbenchmarks for the construction industry. This has helped all of us to improve our systems and make our people and our suppliers believe that addressing sustainability through design, procurement and construction phases is a collective responsibility,” commented Stuart Fraser, Programme Director, Major Projects at Balfour Beatty Construction Services UK.
With the Aquatics Centre set to re-open to the public in the Spring of 2014, one of the world’s most stunning public swimming pools will form part of a suite of world class energy and resource efficient sporting venues in Queen Elizabeth Park and is further testament to the sustainable work of Balfour Beatty.