How could you ever miss this wonder of modern architecture? This, ladies and gentleman, is the Beijing Olympic Swimming pool, otherwise known as the Beijing Water Cube. Talk about taking nightscaping to a new level. I mean, how cool is this thing?
According to BTM Beijing, the secret of the water cube starts with the outer membrane, which is made up of 3,000 Air Filled "Bubbles" allowing natural light to penetrate through without being diverted. Furthermore, there are about 100 million plating points that reflect light like a sun shade of sorts. In the winter, more light is brought in, while, in the hot summer, it is limited so as not to cause a greenhouse effect in the building. There are also ventilation points that are computer controlled regulating room temperature through retractable vent openings. So, essentially, the building is breathing! For the lighting, the water cube uses over 500,000 LED Lights, 37,000 of which are trapped in the bubble framework of the building. The only drawback to the lighting is that it is a major source of light pollution, in a city with an already terrible history of environmentally harmful lighting (I mean, it's a giant, glowing cube!).
Still, it's pretty cool how they did this. The way the lighting is incorporated into the architecture is fascinating! If you think this is cool, let me know about it! Rate it!
Sources: ferret.com.au, BTM Beijing
Pictures: Flickr
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