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Home to the swimming and diving events at the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Aquatics Centre was designed by architect Zara Hadid. As part of the Olympic site’s legacy project, the building is now beginning its transformation from competition venue to public swimming pool and training facility for future Olympians.
The 6 tonne capacity UNIC URW-706 teamed up with an MRTA611 Six-in-Line glass vacuum lifter to glaze the external walls of the venue now that the temporary seating area used for the games has been removed.
Filmed by a BBC camera crew for BBC London News, the spider crane and glass sucker were able to lift the first of the 1.5m x 3m glazed panels from a ground level stillage and install them at a 16 metre height. An impressive 628 pieces of 250kg screen printed glass are to be fitted which will cover 2800m² on the east and west sides of the Aquatics Centre and let plenty of natural light into the swimming pool area.
We’re sure that many future Team GB Olympians and Paralympians can’t wait to start on their journeys to become gold medal winners at the Aquatics Centre when it opens its doors in Spring 2014.
