Watercube

The Book

Ethel Baraona Pohl

Para Csar, Cami y Dani. Los motivos son obvios.

Para mi mami.
Para Chris Bosse por creer en este proyecto.
Gracias.

dpr editorial
Viladomat 59, 4 4
08015 Barcelona
Spain

concept and text/concepto y textos

Ethel Baraona Pohl

research/documentacin

dpr editorial

text contributions/contribuciones

Csar Reyes
professor Denis Weaire
Gemma Thorpe
Poul Henning Kirkegaard and Ida
Kristina Wraber
Arq. Matteo Cainer

translation/traduccin

dpr editorial

layout/maqueta

graphic design/diseo grfico:

Ethel Baraona Pohl

Editorial coordination/coordinacin editorial

photos/fotografas

Imaginacin Impresa

drawings/dibujos

All plans, renders and drawings are published

with the permission of Arup+CSCEC+PTW
Architects. All ETFE details are property of
Vector Foiltec.

dpr

All copyrights for the photos remain with the

photographers.

First published 2008

ISBN:
Printed by: ANMAN Grfiques del Valls, S.L.
Distributed by: Actar-D

Some images are licensed under a Creative Commons license. Please contact the photographers if you want to use
them. The book is registered under a CC 2.5 license, is allowed to copied, distributed and displayed. You must give the
original author credit and you may not use this work for commercial purposes.

Watercube
The Book

Beijing National Aquatics Centre,

Peopless Republic of China
2008

Ethel Baraona Pohl

contents
ndice

1. intro introduccin
2. the site el lugar
3. the competition la competicin
4. the concept el concepto
5. the design process el proceso de diseo
6. the building el edificio
7. the structure la estructura
8. the skin la piel
9. the sustainable premises premisas sostenibles
10. the construction la construccin
11. fast forward
12. model your own Watercube

What foa

minimis

which
surface area of

am structure will

se energy,

h is just the total

f all of the films?
lord Kelvins problem

18

19

2 the site

el sitio

This bottleneck limits Beijings industrialization.

Still, Beijing has an irreplaceable position in the
national economy and is often the first choice for
foreign companies wanting to locate in China.
Since Chinas reforms commenced in the late 1970s,
three metropolitan regions have demonstrated the
greatest dynamism and the highest growth rates5,
two centered in Beijing and Shanghai respectively:
Beijing is the economic heart of the Rim of North
China Sea (Huan bohai), while Shanghai lies at the
center of the Yangtze River Delta.

24

Economic structures have changed dramatically in

Beijing, as the service sector grew rapidly in proportion to the total economy in the 1990s. However,
the development of service sectors, especially valueadding business services, continues to lag behind
overall urban growth due to historical policy biase.
In order to compete with other cities, Beijing has
had to upgrade their industries and has sought to
succeeded in becoming regional hub in the global
economy. Both the administrations of Beijing and
Shanghai are aware of the urgent need for innovation capability to sustain urban growth and retain
competitive advantages.
Since 2003, Beijings infrastructure has improved6.
Total investment in fixed assets reached US$26.06
billion, an increase of 18.9 percent, mainly focused
on the construction of infrastructure and housing.
Also, the city is creating a compete urban transportation network. With sufficient supplies of natural
gas, water, and relatively clean fuel to generate
electricity, including sufficient power for heating
and cooling, the environment, generally speaking,
is getting better.

Desde que las reformas en China comenzaron a finales de los aos 70, tres regiones metropolitanas
han demostrado el dinamismo ms grande y el crecimiento ms alto, dos centradas en Pekn y una en
Shangai; Pekn es el corazn econmico al borde del
mar en el norte de China (bohai de Huan), mientras
que Shangai se ubica en el delta del ro Yangtze5.
Las estructuras econmicas han cambiado drsticamente en Pekn, con el sector de la economa creciendo aceleradamente en los aos 90. Sin embargo,
debido al giro poltico en el pasado, el desarrollo
de las reas de servicio, especialmente servicios de
negocios avanzados, se retrasa tras un crecimiento
urbano acelerado. Para competir con el resto de ciudades, Pekn ha tenido que aumentar sus industrias
para convertirse en lder regional en la economa
global. Las administraciones de Pekn y Shangai estn al tanto de la urgente necesidad de innovacin
para sostener el crecimiento urbano y as conservar
sus ventajas competitivas.
Desde 2003 la infraestructura de Pekn ha mejorado
notablemente6. La inversin total en activos fijos alcanz US$26.06 mil millones, un aumento de 18.9%,
que se centra en la construccin de infraestructura;
la ciudad est siendo dotada de una red urbana de
transporte; con las suficientes fuentes de gas natural, agua, y combustible relativamente limpio para
la generacin de la electricidad, incluyendo la suficiente energa para calefaccin y refrigeracin, la
preocupacin ambiental est mejorando.

5. According to this report, the three metropolitan regions in coastal China are the Rim of North China Sea (Huan bohai) centered on Beijing, the Yangtze River Delta centered
on Shanghai, and the Pearl River Delta axis on Guangzhou-shenzhen, (or, actually, centered on Hong Kong), together up to 0.3 million km2 (less than 3% of the national in total),
producing 37% of the national GDP in 2002. And it is estimated that this number will reach 65% in 2020.
6. http://www.btmbeijing.com

Pekn es la segunda ciudad de China en

trminos de poblacin, despus de Shanghai

25

Beijing

As Beijing expands, it fall

more islands surrounded by m
Neville Mars, Dynamic Density, http://burb.tv/

ls apart along its edges in ever

more infrastructures.

3 the
competition
el concurso

36

37

Diciembre 2002: El ente pblico

BSAM se convierte en propietario del
Watercube y se encraga de la gestin
de tareas de diseo y construccin.

16:00 on

March 2003: It was announced the result of the design prequalification process. From 33 qualified design teams, there
were selected a total of 10 firms for the final round

Fecha limite de recepcin de solictudes

de precalificacin.

Applications for prequalification were

completed by the Applicants before

January 2003: The date for groundbreaking and working calendar were
decided. The Three Gorges Company was selected to manage the project.
It was started the international architecture design competition of the
swimming center.

December 2002: Beijing Statedowned Assets Management Co.

Ltd (BSAM) became the owner of
theWatercube responsible for the
tasks of design and construction of
the venue.

40

Marzo 2003: Se anuncian los resultados de la ronda

de precalificacin de diseos. De un total de 33
equipos de diseo cualificados se eligieron los 10
finalistas para la fase final.

February 2003

20th

Enero 2003: Se decide el cronograma de trabajo y fecha

de inicio de actividades. Se designa a la empresa Three
Gorges Company para la direccin del proyecto. Se inicia
el concurso para definir el diseo del complejo.

29 julio 2003: Los resultados de la valoracin

de expertos, y los votos del pblico coinciden
en escoger el Plan B04

July 29, 2003. Results of expert

appraisal, technical feasibility study and
votes by the public prove that the B04
Plan is outstanding and feasible.

November 17, 2003.

The earthwork and
foundation treatment
was awarded to Beijing
Mechanical Construction
Company

cronograma del concurso

20 octubre 2003: Se elige la empresa Beijing Pake

Intl Engineering Consultancy para construir el
proyecto ganador.

26 sep. 2003: Se hace publica la oferta para

la construccin y supervisin del proyecto.
Aplican un total de 13 reconocidas firmas
constructoras.

Junio 20-28, 2003: Un panel de 52

expertos seleccion, de entre los 10
finalistas, las 3 propuestas ganadoras
del premio a la excelencia. (Plan
B04, Plan B07, Plan B10)

competition timeline

17 Noviembre 2003. Se adjudicaron

los trabajos de movimiento de tierras
y cimentacin a la empresa Beijing
Mechanical Construction Company

October 20, 2003 Beijing Pake Intl Engineering Consultancy was selected to construct the
winning design.

Sept. 26, 2003 Public invitation for bid on construction and project
supervision was released. A total of 13 well-known construction &
engineering firms participated in pre-qualification.

Julio 2003: Se exhiben a juicio de la opinin

pblica los modelos conceptuales finalistas
del NAC en el Centro Internacional de
Exhibiciones de Pekn.

July 2003: Models of the final conceptual

designs for the NAC were on show at the
Beijing International Exhibition Center to
solicit public opinion.

June 20-28,2003: A panel of well-known 52

Chinese and foreign designers and operation
experts selected three designs (Plan B04, Plan
B07, Plan B10) from a total of 10 submissions
as the winners of the excellence awards.

41

54

PTW Architects + CSCEC-design + Arup

National Aquatics Centre
Beijing, China
20032008

Credits and Data

Project title:

Watercube, National Aquatics Centre, Beijing

Client:

Peoples Government of Beijing Municipality, Beijing State-owned Assets

Management Co., Ltd

Competition management: Three Gorges International Tendering Co., Ltd.

Design consortium:

PTW Architects, CSCEC+design, Arup

PTW design team:

Director and associates:
Project team:

John Bilmon , Mark Butler, Chris Bosse

Andrew Frost, John Pauline, Stephen Bai, John Blanchard,
Alan Crowe, Michael Lam, Kurt Wagner, Tim Brouw, Ingrid Toser

CSCEC+design team leaders: Zhao Xiaojun, Wang Min, Shang Hong

Arup:

Tristram Carfrae (engineering team leader),

Mark Arkinstall (engineering)
Peter Macdonald (structure),
Kenneth Ma (building services)
Haico Schepers (building physics)
Ken Conway (environmental)
Mark Lewis (communications)
Steve Pennell and Stuart Bull (3-D CAD)

55

62

water

63

78

Square

Cuadrado

A square is not an alien in Chinese culture. To position themselves in the universe, Chinese choose the
square as the prime geometry for their cities, palaces, and houses. (As a capital that has served six
dynasties in six hundred years, the city of Beijing is
a very good example).

El cuadrado no es un extrao en la cultura china.

Para ubicarse en el universo, los chinos eligen el
cuadrado como forma geomtrica bsica para sus
ciudades, palacios y casas. (Como capital que ha
servido a seis dinastas en seiscientos aos, la ciudad
de Pekn es un buen ejemplo).

Facing south, his feet firmly on the fifth element,

the earth, is man. Via a negative approach-not
knowing how high is up, how deep is down, and
how far away is the end of the world in each direction-man fixes his position as equidistant form the
end of the universe on all sides, and places himself
squarely in the middle. Scattered inside the square
world of man are these words: One thousand autumns and ten thousand years, enduring happiness,
never to end! In Chinese history, there are always
good years and bad years, but the nation is forever
believed the Central Kingdom, that is how the nation named itself. The Chinese organises his basic
cell in order to organise the world around it. His immediate world, measurable, controllable, is forever
encroaching on the Unknown .

Orietado hacia el sur, sus pies se apoyan con firmeza en el quinto elemento, la tierra, siendo un hombre. A travs de un acercamiento negativo sin saber
cuan alto es lo alto, cuan profundo es lo bajo y cuan
lejano es el extremo del mundo en cada una de sus
direcciones, el hombre toma su posicin de forma
equidistante con respecto al universo y a todos sus
lados y se coloca en ngulo recto en el centro. Dispersas dentro del mundo cuadrado de los hombres,
se encuentran estas palabras: Mil otoos y diez mil
aos de felicidad duradera que nunca termina! En
la historia china existen siempre buenos aos y malos aos, pero la nacin siempre se ubica en el Reino
Central, que es el nombre de la nacin. Los chinos
organizan sus clulas base con el fin de organizar el
mundo alrededor de las mismas. Su mundo inmediato, con medida, controlable est siempre invadiendo lo desconocido.

square
The square is the order, intelligence, and knowledge
of man, the Chinese ideal of regulated harmony.

79

El cuadrado es orden, inteligencia y el conocimiento

del hombre, el ideal chino de armona.

cuadrado
1. Vernacular house / Vivienda verncula
2. Plan of capital city of Yuan Dynasty / Plano de la ciudad capital durante la Dinasta Yuan
3. Plan of capital city of Zhou Dynasty / Plano de la ciudad capital durante la Dinasta Zhou

90

the idea of

water bubbles and randomness

la idea de las

burbujas de jabn y de aleatoriedad

91

macro
abarcan cada detalle del edificio desde lo macro hasta lo
transcends every detail of the building from

to

micro

micro

la maqueta estructural vol desde Melbourne a Pekn, donde se le coloc

piel plastica

una
hecha a
mano (el equipo sencillamente no poda dibujar todas las piezas al mismo
tiempo) y la maqueta fue completada.
98

To bring the design to life, the individual bubbles were incorporated into membranes of ethylene-tetra-fluoroethylene (ETFE) and tailored like a sewing pattern.
Para dar vida al diseo, las burbujas individuales fueron incorporadas en las membranas del etileno-tetra-fluoro-etileno (ETFE) y adaptadas como si fuesen un patrn de costura.
Mark Butler in a personal interview, PTW Architects.

99

106

US$100 million project

The huge complex is 177,7x177,7x31m

107

Theory behind the cube

Inspired by cells and soap bubbles
Based on a common natural pattern arrangement of organic cells and natural
formation of soap bubbles
Arup structural engineers realised that
a structure based on unique geometry
would be highly repetitive and buildable,
but would appear random and organic
This type of pattern is regularly seen in
biological cells and mineral crystals

164

In the Watercube, walls,

roof, structural elements
and aesthetics merge; the
resulting structure is a
continuous form.
Whereas soap bubbles can be divided into two shapes
- based on a geometric cell made up of 12 pentagons
and 2 hexagons that is 3 dimensionally repeatable
without leaving any empty spaces- the engineering
solution to make the Watercube a reality requires
over a hundred different ones. However, in spite of
their seeming randomness, bubbles always touch
each other with a regular geometry and it is this
simple fact that makes the design feasible.

Considerando que las burbujas de jabn se pueden
dividir en dos formas -basada en una clula geomtrica compuesta por 12 pentgonos y dos hexgonos
que es de 3 dimensiones repetible sin dejar espacios
vacos- la solucin de ingeniera para hacer realidad
el Watercube requiere ms de cien formas diferentes. Sin embargo, a pesar de su aparente aleatoriedad, las burbujas siempre tienen contacto entre s
con una geometra regular y este es el simple hecho
que logra que el diseo sea factible.

165

172

There are

22,000

steel members

that would stretch for

90 kms

173

8 the skin
la piel

198

199

210

211

The special award for the most accomplished work

in the section Atmosphere is awarded to the Australian architecture firm PTW Architects, CSCEC +
Design and Arup for the project National Aquatics
Centre, Beijing Olympic Green, China. The project
demonstrates in a stunning way, how the deliberate morphing of molecular science, architecture and
phenomenology can create an airy and misty atmosphere for a personal experience of water leisure

- Quote from the Jury report of the Official Awards 9th International Architecture Exhibition - METAMORPH, Venice Biennale.

314

El premio especial a los mejores trabajos realizados en la seccin Ambiente se adjudic a la empresa
australiana PTW Architects, CSCEC + Design y Arup
por el proyecto Centro Nacional de Natacin, Villa
Olmpica de Pekn, China. El proyecto muestra en
una forma impresionante, la forma en que la ciencia
molecular, la arquitectura y la fenomenologa pueden crear juntas una atmsfera brumosa para una
experiencia personal en las piscinas de ocio
- Nota en el reporte del jurado de los Premios Oficiales de la
9a Exhibicin Internacional de Arquitectura -METAMORPH, en la
Bienal de Venecia.

awards

premios

* 2004 - Venice Biennale - Award for most accomplished work Atmosphere section.
* 2006 - Popular Science Best of whats new 2006 in
engineering.
* 2004 BE Award Winner for BIM Building Information Model in Architecture and Engineering.

315