This could easily have become a lopsided mutation, but it had the soaring lines of an aircraft wing. It looked magnificent from every direction, near and far, night and day. It also added value. Sightlines from the new seats narrowed the focus from the outer wash lanes of the pool into the central lanes. Half of the better new seats will remain, a permanent addition that will sweeten any future bid by the centre for international events.
Architectural practice can only be as good as the clients it serves.
In the swell of post-Games pride it is timely to credit the urban planners and project managers working within OCA, by some standards the biggest client in Australian architectural history. For seven years they have, rightly, been the focus of critical scrutiny. Their ranks closed following regrettable episodes such as the discarding of the original Village design, locking architectural debate behind closed doors. Along with the many local architects who answered to them, the OCA's technical members have emerged from the odyssey with encyclopedic know-how and experience to share.