A jury chaired by Richard Rogers selected Hadid from more than 200 proposals from architecture firms around the world.
The structure with an undulating roof that follows the bends of the Li River, in the valley of which the Olympic Park will be located, is not only a piece of architecture of the highest quality, but also a high-tech sports facility.
The complex, with an estimated cost of £ 72 million, will include two 50-meter pools and another for diving. Construction will begin at the end of this year and will end in December 2008. The construction will accommodate 3,500 spectators, and several national and world swimming championships will be held there even before the Olympics. If London becomes the capital of the 2012 Games, then the number of seats closer to the date will be increased to 20,000, and after the end of the competition - again reduced to 3,500. Thus, the complex will also have a second purpose - a sports center for a residential area and a training base for English athletes - and, accordingly, a longer period of use than an exclusively "Olympic" building.
