Water Cube Beijing By Elizabeth (Lulu) Phan

Introduction The Water Cube, officially known as the National Aquatics Center, was made for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. All the swimming events were held in this facility. This building is well known for its unique exterior. There is a polyhedral steel-frame structure that acts as a wall and roof. The frame has a variety of shapes and sizes that create an abstract honey-comb look. The frame is filled with a special kind of plastic that insulates it and reflects sunlight, keeping people inside the water cube from overheating. The plastic is called ETFE, ethylene-tetrafluoroethylene, is placed inside the frame and inflated which creates shapes that look like bubbles. This creative, innovative and environmentally friendly design sets the Water Cube apart from any other Olympic stadium in the world. I chose this structure because I think that the design looks incredible and really catches your eye. I love how the architects really put a lot of creativity into the building but also considered how they could make it environmentally friendly and cost effective.

Polyhedral Steel Frame The steel frame of the Water Cube is made up of a series of struts that are connected to one another in the shape of a polyhedron, a three dimensional shape with many faces. The type of frame the water cube has is a variation of a space frame or space structure. A space frame works by putting the tension and compression on the struts and using strong materials that don’t break under the load. Using space frames are highly effective because it can cover a large area with only a few supports. Using multiple interlocking square pyramids a space frame creates a structure both strong and interesting to look at. Steel frames are often made out of steel or aluminum. With the Water Cube, instead of pyramids, the struts are in irregular shapes.

ETFE Bubbles After the steel frame was completed, all that was left to do was create the “bubbles” to finish off the exterior of the building. The biggest problem was finding the right material to use. The material had to be affordable since there were going to be 4000 bubbles but look nice as well as, of course, be safe. The material chosen for such a demanding criteria was ETFE, ethylene-tetrafluoroethylene, nicknamed the miracle construction material. ETFE weighs 1/100 the weight of glass and is strong enough to withstand 400 times its weight. Not only that but ETFE can last for at least 50 years without repairs and its nonstick surface is impervious to dirt and dust. Although using ETFE is a perfect choice for a building with this design it has disadvantages. ETFE transmits a lot more sound than glass does and it must be inflated or have multiple layers to be effective. To combat the noise that ETFE lets in there are 2 layers of ETFE in the Water Cube, all of which are fully inflated. The architects had to consider what would happen if there was a fire inside the Water Cube. Any other type of plastic would melt and the extremely hot remains of the plastic would fall onto the people trapped inside. However ETFE doesn’t burn and melt like other plastics and is actually really effective in a fire. When ETFE is burned it does not drop any melted plastic but instead burns up then stops the fire and leaves a hole for the smoke to go out. Since ETFE acts as an emergency fire ventilation and does not drop any melted plastic it the perfect material for the Water Cube.

Environmental Sustainability When the Water Cube was designed a lot of emphasis was put on making the building environmentally friendly whilst keeping the aesthetic element intact. A lot of the eco-friendly part of the water cube has to do with the ETFE “bubbles” and its qualities. All the other qualities of ETFE mentioned previously are related to the Water Cube being environmentally friendly but the main factor is that ETFE lets in more light than glass or any alternative material. With more light let in there is less need for electric lights or other light sources that require energy. Another benefit of letting in more light is that more heat is let in as well. Although it seems that would cause people to be really hot and uncomfortable the ETFE bubbles do a good job of storing the heat and using that heat to keep the pool at a regulated 28 degrees Celsius.

Conclusion The Water Cube is an amazing building and I knew very little about it before this project. Now after completing this power point I feel that my knowledge of the Water Cube has developed greatly and so has my general knowledge of structures. Before researching about the Water Cube I didn’t even know EFTE existed but know I can recite many of its properties and uses. After the Olympics 2008 the Water Cube was renovated and a section of the Water Cube was transformed into a water park which included many water slides, spas and a wave pool. The new water park is very popular and is a creative way of reusing the facilities instead of leaving it there empty like the other Olympic facility in Beijing, the Bird’s Nest stadium. Possibly in the next few years the Water Cube would be used to host other swimming events like the Olympics but for Asia or different regions. The Water Cube might be renovated again and another branch might be added for other water sports or a place where the athletes can relax or train before their race/event.

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