Project Location: Dubai
Client: Dubai Municipality
Architect: Faulknerbrowns Architects
Site opening: May 2008
Completion: April 2010
Details:
The key aims of the project are:
• to create and deliver the world’s best indoor international aquatic centre, addressing the needs of the 2010 10th FINA World Swimming Championships (25m short course swimming), with the potential to host other international aquatic events such as the Asian Games Aquatics Event, the World Swimming Championships (all aquatic disciplines including 50m swimming) and, potentially, a future Olympic Games;
• to provide flexibility in overall layout for a compact and economic, permanent, day-on-day, aquatic centre for the training to elite levels in all of the aquatics disciplines (swimming, synchronised swimming, diving, synchronised diving and water polo) and also for public and schools training and recreational swimming programmes;
• to provide some degree of flexibility in flooring solutions, temperature and humidity control and support accommodation to allow the main spectator arena (when not used for major aquatic events) to accommodate a limited range of dry sports events (basketball, volleyball, netball, badminton etc) and such social and exhibition events which can be accommodated within the floor loadings of temporary floors (constructed over pool tanks) and the capacity levels provided by the exit widths from the arena floor and MEP design for normal sports usage.
