by ArchitectureWeek

When the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta needed a new student recreation center, they found the space for it in an unusual way. They converted the 1996 Olympic swimming and diving venue into a multipurpose facility by stretching a new floor across the 175-foot (53-meter) span above the existing pool and spectator seating. St. Louis-based Hastings & Chivetta Architects, Inc. designed the renovation.

The new floor structure is said to be the longest continuous post-tension system in the United States. The girders use over 2,682 cubic yards (2,050 cubic meters) of concrete and over 60 miles (100 kilometers) of cable. To support the girders, massive columns were placed outside the existing building on the north and through the existing structure on the south where spectator seating is located.   >>>

Discuss this article in the Architecture Forum...

The original open structure at the Georgia Institute of Technology was built specifically for 1996 Olympic swimming and diving events. Photo: Hastings & Chivetta Architects, Inc. The pool is now enclosed, and huge girders spanning the building's width are visible from below. Photo: Hastings & Chivetta Architects, Inc.   Click on thumbnail images to view full-size pictures.