Design concept

"The Water Cube had a clearer future mapped out from the beginning," said Kang Wei, Deputy Director of the Beijing State-owned Assets Management Co. Ltd., which manages the swimming venue. "We took its future use after the Olympic Games into consideration throughout the bidding, design and construction processes."

The venue's designers created a competition area that only accounted for 21.4 percent of the project's total area, Kang said.

"This provided a wide space for further commercial development after the Games," Kang said.

A NEW CLASSIC: The Royal Russian Ballet and synchronized swimmers present a new take on the classic Swan Lake at the National Aquatics Center on June 27 (CFP)

A swimming venue with an area of 40,000 square meters would be sufficient for the Olympic Games, he said.

Kang said his team traveled to Australia before starting construction on the Water Cube to learn about that country's experience after it hosted the Olympics.

"The designer of Sydney's Olympic swimming center told us that we must combine the post-Games use into the design," Kang said. The designer said Sydney had paid the price for its negligence in giving little attention to the potential use of its swimming venue after the Olympics. To expand its operational area after the Sydney Olympic Games, venue managers had to demolish a wall to achieve 10,000 square meters of more space.

"The total operational area of the Water Cube can reach 90,000 square meters," Kang said.

Water Cube operators also hired professional marketing institutions to evaluate and give suggestions for future operations, Kang said.

With the help of the marketing institutions, he said, the Water Cube completed its primary transition only 12 days after the close of the Beijing Paralympics, which occurred after the Olympics.

"The number of seats installed in the venue during the Olympic Games was 17,000, of which 11,000 will be gradually uninstalled within the year. Of the remaining 6,000 seats, 2,000 will be temporary and 4,000 will be permanent," he said.

The Water Cube has transformed into a full-service aquatic sports center with swimming and water ballet performance programs. A large-scale interior redesign will begin in October, Kang said.

"Reconstruction is scheduled for completion in mid-2010. After that, the venue will be turned into an entertainment complex with cinemas, restaurants and a public diving area," he said.

Beyond the Games

A year after Beijing hosted the Games, the Olympic Green is still attracting millions of visitors to the city.

"The world-famous site has become a popular new tourist spot. The number of visitors these venues drew exceeded even that of the Forbidden City for some time after the Games," said Jiang Xiaoyu, Executive Vice President of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games.

Since the park opened to the public last October, the Water Cube has attracted more than 2.26 million visitors and generated 104 million yuan ($15.23 million) in revenues, covering its annual operating costs of 60-70 million yuan ($8.78-10.25 million), said Wang Chun, Deputy Director of the Managing Committee of the Olympic Park.

"It's amazing for any single destination in the world to receive so many tourists in such a short time," Wang said. "But memories of the Olympics alone will not sustain it in the long term so the site's managers need to put in more attractions."

The Beijing Olympic venues are being developed on four main fronts, he said—as tourist attractions, high-profile sports and entertainment events, monuments showcasing the legacy of the games and commercial service providers.

On September 30, 2008, the Water Cube hosted a five-month-long series of water concerts that attracted more than 250,000 visitors. The venues managers selected Beijing Artists Management Corp Ltd. to stage the shows.

"We are very proud," said Li Qin, General Manager of the company. "I think we should take on the social responsibility to continue the glory of this Olympic venue and the Olympic spirit."