Times Architecture

Beijing National Aquatics Centre (Water Cube) Bejing China
Architect - BTW Arhitects

Address - 11 Tianchen E Rd, Chaoyang Qu, Bejing, China

The highly sustainable structure is clad with translucent ETFE (ethyl tetra fluoro ethylene), a tough, recyclable material that weighs just one percent of an equivalent sized glass panel. The Aquatics Centre has a bubble cladding that lets in more light than glass and thoroughly cleans itself with every rain shower. It is also much more resistant to the weathering effects of sunlight than glass and a better isnulation

The outer wall is based on the Weaire–Phelan structure, a structure devised from the natural pattern of bubbles in soap lather using a steel space frame with ETFE cladding. Contextually the cube symbolises earth whilst the circle (represented by the Beijing National Stadium) represents heaven. Hence symbolically the water cube references Chinese symbolic architecture