CPB Contractors (formerly Leighton Contractors) was selected by the Olympic Coordination Authority to deliver the Olympic Park Aquatic Centre expansion in Homebush Bay, NSW, under a construction contract.

The project involved increasing the spectator capacity of the existing Aquatic Centre from 5,500 to 17,500 seats for the Olympic Games, with a post-Games reconfiguration to 8,000 seats. The works were delivered between June 1999 and July 2001, under a demanding schedule to ensure Olympic preparations were not compromised.

Key features of the project included:

• Prestressed precast concrete seating platforms supported by heavy structural steel raking beams
• Tubular steel roof trusses providing full-width column-free spans of over 100 metres
• Hollow-core precast concrete planks forming the upper concourse level
• Metal deck roofing and recyclable cladding to temporary wall ends
• Air conditioning systems servicing the fully enclosed building
• Seating for 12,000 patrons, five scoreboards, and two video screens

Challenges and sustainability outcomes:

• The Aquatic Centre remained open to the public throughout construction, including during the removal of the eastern façade
• Dust and noise levels were closely monitored to minimise disruption
• CPB Contractors proposed an alternative design concept during competitive tendering, delivering significant cost savings
• A $6 million variation was agreed to dismantle much of the temporary structure and adjust seating to its permanent configuration
• In support of Environmentally Sustainable Development (ESD), CPB negotiated an agreement with the Wollongong Sportsground Trust to re-use 90% of dismantled components in the construction of a new grandstand at WIN Stadium, Wollongong

Construction was completed ahead of schedule, delivering a world-class facility that supported the success of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.