Olympic pool renders show grand plans, but details yet to be finalised
Updated July 23, 2026 — 10:59am,first published July 22, 2026 — 6:00pm
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The National Aquatic Centre for the Brisbane Olympics will be a legacy to generations of swimmers, the Queensland government says, though its cost and design specifics are yet to be nutted out.
Swimming was a part of Queensland’s DNA, Premier David Crisafulli said at the announcement at the Centenary Pool complex on Thursday morning, alongside homegrown Olympic and Paralympic champions Cate Campbell and Brendan Hall.
“It’s important that there’s a facility not just for the short term, but for a long-term lasting legacy,” Crisafulli said.
A render of the new National Aquatic Centre, to be built at the Centenary Pool site in Spring Hill for the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games.
As this masthead revealed two weeks ago, Brisbane City Council will hand over the Centenary Pool Complex to the Games Independent Infrastructure and Coordination Authority on September 1.
ARM Architecture and NH Architecture, in partnership with Queensland’s Arkhefield, have been chosen to deliver the Spring Hill centre on the edge of Victoria Park.
The centre will feature new pools and work-out areas, and will be within walking distance of the new Olympic stadium.
The architect said the design would celebrate the existing heritage elements of the pool.
ARM director Andrew Hayne said the centre’s design would celebrate the heritage elements of the Centenary pool, while paying homage to Queensland’s landscape and climate.
“Honestly, the real measure of success won’t be the two weeks in 2032, it’ll be measured by Queenslanders learning to swim here, competing, exercising and gathering here,” he said.
The construction timeline for the National Aquatic Centre has not been confirmed, but August 30 will be the existing pool’s last day of operation.
Other details of the pool’s design were also yet to be released.
The complex will be part of the Victoria Park precinct, and within walking distance of the new stadium.
When it released its 100-day review of Games infrastructure, the government said the pool should have 8000 permanent seats and capacity for 25,000 Games spectators.
The man in charge of actually building the stadiums admitted that number could fluctuate.
“It’s a complex process – we’ve barely started it,” Games Independent Infrastructure and Coordination Authority (GIICA) chief Simon Crooks said.
The federal and state governments have set a budget of $7.1 billion for the seven new stadiums and 10 upgrades required for the Games, with funding split 50:50.
At the pool, Crooks repeated the position he expressed at budget estimates on Wednesday, saying the money for each project was not known, but it would be within budget.
He said four building companies had submitted tenders to build the centre, and tenders would close at the end of the month.
“I’m not talking about budget … because that will contaminate the price they give me,” he said.
Crooks said the project validation report for the pool complex would be done towards the end of the year.
The site is heritage-listed for its iconic architecture.Dominique Tassell
Crisafulli also said the government had to be coy about prices.
“When jobs are delivered, you will see the price. That is the way it has to be,” he said.
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