The impressive Beijing National Aquatics Centre – known to most as the 2008 Beijing Olympics ‘Water Cube’ – has won the 2008 Association of Consulting Engineers Australia (ACEA) Project of the Year and the Gold Award for International Exports Project.

It is the second year in a row that consulting engineering firm Arup has received the prestigious
award from its peak Australian body, and Chief Executive of the ACEA Megan Motto has praised the project for being “highly innovative”.

“Of particular note was the wide range of engineering disciplines brought to the project and coordinated by one firm – Arup – ensuring the work was completed on time and within budget,” she says.

Arup’s consortium of architects PTW and China’s CCDI won an international design competition for the project, and the architect, engineer and design partner frequently exchanged 3D information models to ensure the 177m x 177m x 31m structure was constructed to perfection.

Amazingly, the ‘Water Cube’ – with its 22,000 steel members and 12,000 nodes – is a model of environmentally sustainable construction, with the building naturally heating the pool, lighting itself and catching and storing water, all while resisting high seismic forces.

Check out the Water Cube.

Image Courtesy Australian Institute of Architects, by Ben McMillan