The NAC needs to operate as several things at once: an Olympic competition venue, a high-performance training facility, a daily public aquatic centre, a civic landmark and a national symbol. To deliver that complexity ARM Architecture, Arkhefield and NH Architecture bring together our experience across major sporting, cultural and public projects.

The design begins with the heritage-listed Centenary Pool complex, retained and restored, making the first splash. The ripples it generates extend through the architecture, shaping the undulating roof, the plinth, and rooftop landscape, in a building that is legibly and specifically about water. The forms also respond to Brisbane's subtropical climate and First Nations histories.

Tiered down the southern ridge of the sloping site, the building steps into the landscape rather than sitting on top of it, preserving parkland to the north and opening the building to breeze and sky. The Civic Breezeway is an open public concourse connecting the aquatic centre to its landscape and to the broader Victoria Park precinct, where the new Brisbane Stadium will sit alongside it.

The NAC isn't designed for a few weeks of the Games. We’re building permanent civic infrastructure – three covered competition pools, a gym, high-performance training rooms and community spaces – where elite athletes will train and compete, and Queenslanders can learn to swim, exercise, and keep cool by the water.