Landmark $135 million Adelaide Aquatic Centre opens to celebration from locals
The landmark $135 million Adelaide Aquatic Centre opened with a gala day on January 26 – opening fully to the public the following day.
More than 10,000 people registered in the ballot to be among the first to enjoy everything the new Aquatic Centre has to offer which includes indoor and outdoor pool areas, four water slides, splash zones, diving amenities, sauna and steam rooms, café and retail spaces, and lawned recreation areas.
The South Australian Government says this response demonstrates the community excitement and expectation for the new aquatic centre.
More than 2000 people are already enrolled in learn-to-swim and squad classes while 1700 health and wellness memberships have already been snapped up since memberships for the new centre opened in November last year.
More than 100 sporting, community and health groups will return to the brand-new facility after being accommodated at alternative venues across the Adelaide pool network during construction.
The completion of the project comes less than two years after major construction began in February 2024. Landscaping and installation of new irrigation and turf will continue over the coming month.
More than 1500 full-time equivalent jobs were supported over the life of the project, with more than 2500 people working at pace in recent weeks to complete the finishing touches.
Approximately 2800 cladding panels, 685 tonnes of structural steel, 720 concrete piles, and 1.35 kilometres of underground plumbing were used in the build. Around 160,000 tiles were installed in the leisure pool, with just under 153,000 tiles used across the other indoor pools.
More than 50 timber beams and columns, each one up to 37 metres long – or more than 10 metres longer than the 25 metre, 8-lane outdoor pool - were used in the centre framework. These were milled in Austria, as there are no facilities in Australia capable of producing beams of this size.
Excavators removed 40,000 cubic metres of soil during construction, helping backfill the former pools at the old aquatic centre site, ahead of more than 1000 square metres of space being returned to Park Lands.
Powered by 100 per cent certified renewable energy, the new centre is an accessible space for everyone and sets a new benchmark for recreational aquatic facilities nationally.
The consulting aquatic engineer was Neil Davey of MLEI Consulting Engineers.
YMCA Aquatic will run the new Adelaide Aquatic Centre.
Features include:
50m, 10 lane indoor pool.
25m, 8 lane outdoor pool.
Dedicated indoor warm water rehabilitation pool.
Dedicated indoor learn to swim pool.
Lagoon outdoor pool.
Four new waterslides, reaching speeds up to 40 km/h.
Entry level diving amenities.
Indoor leisure space, with splash zones.
Relaxation zone, sauna and steam room.
Outdoor splash pad with waterplay.
Outdoor aquatic zone with BBQs and lawned areas.
Café available for both centre visitors and other Park 2 users.
Gym and fitness facilities three times the size than first planned.
Inclusive amenities and changerooms.
Increased car parking with access from Jeffcott Street.
Improved pedestrian and cycle pathways connecting the centre with existing networks.
IMAGE: Aerial view of the new Adelaide Aquatic Centre with the city in the background. (Supplied, Government of SA, Department of Infrastructure and Transport. Tom Roschi Photography)
