Water Cube
Built to host the swimming, diving and artistic swimming competitions of the Olympic Games and also known as the Water Cube or the Ice Cube, the National Aquatic Centre has also become one of the landmarks of this Olympic city. Home to a water park and an ice rink, it is open to the general public for recreational activities and continues to host national and international sporting events and other events. By the end of 2020, the centre had received 26 million visits. Famed for its futuristic design, the centre was awarded the 2019 IOC Sport and Sustainable Architecture trophy, in recognition of its contribution to sustainable development in the city and the promotion of Olympic values in China. State-owned since 2018, it is the only venue built for the 2008 Olympic Games for which all investment came from overseas donations.
In 2010, restoration work was conducted by the Beijing State-owned Assets Management Co. Ltd, adding features such as a water park, an exhibition hall, business stores and restaurants.
Home to five swimming pools, a wave machine, restaurant and seating for 17,000 spectators, the venue is a model for the re-use of Olympic venues and was extensively upgraded in preparation for the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022, when it staged the curling competitions. A month-long, five-step process, the water-to-ice conversion project involved the use of IT such as cloud computing and led to the venue hosting successful preparatory curling competitions in 2019 and 2021.
It has continued to host ice sports since then and has proved its versatility and long-term benefits by also staging swimming events and major cultural events.