Manchester Aquatics Centre
53°28′10″N 2°14′08″W / 53.46944°N 2.23556°W
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| Full name | Manchester Aquatics Centre | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| City | Manchester, England | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Capacity | approx. 1,000 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Built | 1996–2000 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Opened | 12 October 2000 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Architect(s) | FaulknerBrowns Architects | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Manchester Aquatics Centre, abbreviated MAC, is a public aquatics sports facility south of the city centre of Manchester, England, north of the main buildings of the University of Manchester near Manchester Metropolitan University. It was purpose built for the 2002 Commonwealth Games, and cost £32 million to build.
Before it was built, for many years its site was open waste ground, left by demolishing inner city industrial terrace houses. The building was designed by FaulknerBrowns Architects. The building takes the approximate shape of an asymmetric trapezoidal prism (the apex provides clearance above the highest diving board), and from the outside, the roof resembles a wave.
Construction started in August 1996, and was completed in July 2000, with finishing touches made in September 2001. MAC hosts many swimming and water polo events but also hosts Lancashire County Championships and Age group North west Regionals for swimming. It was opened on 12 October 2000, by Queen Elizabeth II. The pool was closed in 2021 for major refurbishment works over the following two years.