Olympic's Water Cube goes LED color crazy

For any of you who have been watching the Olympics on tv (or maybe even in person!), you must have noticed the spectacular "Water Cube" aquatic center created especially for the Beijing Olympics.

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A few fun facts about the Water Cube:

• Approximately 496,000 LEDs in red, green and blue illuminate the exterior of the building
• The Water Cube is made of 3,000 “bubbles,” each with the ability to display millions of different colors. The design was inspired by soap bubbles.

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• The exterior displays a different color pattern each evening. The patterns are computer-controlled. It's programmed to display different colored designs, including ones inspired by themes including “Blooming Flowers,”” Rainy Day” and “Night at the Disco.”

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• The Water Cube’s bubbles trap more heat than glass, reducing total energy requirements by 30 percent. This is the equivalent of mounting solar panels on the roof. (source)

The concept behind the ever-changing facade is quite brilliant. "We wanted the building to dematerialize, to change moods, to react to changes in the environment around it," says Min Wang, a design principal with China Construction Design International (CCDI) (source) "Water has no fixed image. It can be still, it can reflect the sky, or it can have big waves." How cool is that? I love the idea of movement within a permanent structure. And what better way to achieve that goal than with color!