Olympics-London “wave” roof lowered on aquatics centre

One of the most architecturally stunning features of the 2012 London Olympic buildings — the sweeping, wave-shaped roof to the aquatics centre — has been lowered into place.

Designed by Iraqi-born architect Zaha Hadid, the centre will mark the gateway to the Olympic Park in Stratford, east London.

Originally estimated to cost 73 million pounds, it is now expected to come in at 251 million pounds, despite the stingray-shaped roof being scaled down and redesigned amid cost fears.

A bridge connecting the roof to the main park will cost another 61 million pounds.

The 160 metre-long roof was one of the most "complex engineering and construction challenges" of the Olympic Park build, organisers said on Wednesday.

Weighing more than 3,000 tonnes, and made from steel, aluminium covering and timber cladding, it rests on two concrete supports at one end and a supporting wall at the other.

"The Aquatics Centre is on track for completion in mid-2011 and the sweeping roof that will form the 'Gateway to the Games' is now a fixture in the skyline alongside the Olympic Stadium," an Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) spokesman said in a statement.

The 17,500 seat centre will host swimming, diving and water polo during the Games, but will be reduced to 2,500 seats afterwards.

British builder Balfour Beatty was the only company left in the bidding for construction after France's Eiffel and Germany's Hochtief withdrew.

The area, on a former industrial site, was severely polluted with oil, tar, solvents and heavy metals such as arsenic and lead in the soil, which had to be cleared and decontaminated.