Taiwan’s first “Lego swimming pool”
Taiwan’s display of industrial and design talent isn’t the only thing that has caught international attention, though—there’s also the decision to use the floating “Skypool” system.
“This is the first time that a floating-type prefabricated pool has been used in Taiwan,” says Bobby Chung, Taiwan regional manager of Fluidra, the Spanish company that is responsible for making the pool.
However, he continues, while it may be Taiwan’s first time, it’s certainly far from unprecedented internationally.
Prefab pools not only save on the cost of building dedicated venues, but can also help address a lack of construction time, seating, or other issues. However, while the rapid construction and the portability of such pools are strengths, they also come with a particular challenge, Chung says, which is whether the ground beneath can carry the load.
Once the outer structure of the pool is assembled, he explains, the pool then needs to be filled with some 2,500 tons of water, with each square meter of ground beneath having to support a load of 500 kg. However, with the chosen venue for the swimming and diving—National Taiwan Sport University’s gymnasium—being many years old, it was difficult to judge whether the ground would hold up. Given this, after taking on the job last year, Fluidra immediately launched a geological survey of the venue, fortunately finding out that there should be no safety concerns.
A further headache is the fact that once the pool is full, the steel plates making up the outer structure will be susceptible to bending outward from the pressure, but the International University Sports Federation, the governing body for the Universiade, has strict regulations regarding the dimensions of the pool, with a tolerance for only 1 cm error in the length of swimmers’ lanes. To address this, Fluidra specially used the floating Skypool system which can be adjusted at any point, helping prevent any divergence in length.
The entire process of constructing the pool was recorded and edited into a short video which, once uploaded to the Internet, attracted the attention of no small number of people. As of writing, the video had racked up 1.5 million hits, 85% from Taiwan and 15% from abroad. “The use of the Skypool system for these games has not only been a milestone for Taiwan, but also, through the resulting video, has successfully promoted the games to the world,” says Chung.
The countdown to the start of the 2017 Taipei Summer Universiade is underway. What has caught your attention so far? The lovable mascot Bravo the Bear? The fascinating, photorealistic floor decor of the Taipei Metro, which gives a sense of really being in a pool? Or is it the fighting spirit of Taiwan’s youthful competitors? Whether you’re a sports fan or not, be sure to join us at the event venues and help cheer on Taiwan’s best!
From visual design to textile selection, designer Jasper Huang put in a masterful effort on the torchbearers’ uniforms, hoping to showcase some of what makes Taiwan unique. (courtesy of Jasper Huang)
The 70-cm-long, 1.2-kg Universiade torch brings together the work of Taiwanese designers and traditional craftspeople. (courtesy of UID Create)
The bamboo work on the base of the torch was done by Nantou craftsman Su Su-jen, who employed a traditional hexagonal woven design. (courtesy of UID Create)
The burner cone that shrouds the upper part of the torch has an open hexagonal lattice that echoes the bamboo pattern of the base. For this, the design team sought the help of JKE, a precision medical equipment manufacturer based in Taichung’s Taiping District who used advanced five-axis laser cutters to realize the design.
The LEDs installed in the bottom light up in the dark to project the Universiade logo. (courtesy of UID Create)
UID Create creative director Jimmy Chang hopes to highlight the beauty of Taiwanese innovation and tradition through the torch design.
The 2017 Universiade marks the first use in Taiwan of a “floating” prefabricated pool, which some have nicknamed the “Lego pool.” (courtesy of TUOC)