Known officially as the National Aquatics Center, the Watercube has been dubbed the 'cool' building of the Games. The building's design and its translucent, blue-toned outside skin make it look like a cube of bubbles - like 'bubble wrap'. Forty-two gold medals well be handed out at the Watercube during the Olympics, which start Aug 8.

It was the public's first look at the building after a little more than three years of construction.

The venue has 6,000 permanent and 11,000 temporary seats. Like the 91,000-seat National Stadium - the 'Bird's Nest', which will be completed in March - both are seen as works of art and will anchor the Olympic Green area.

While some argue the gargantuan 'Bird's Nest' could become a white elephant, the Watercube has been built to be converted to a shopping area and leisure centre with tennis courts, retail outlets, nightclubs and restaurants.

'This building was designed for use after the games,' said Mr John Pauline of PTW Architects, one of the lead architects on the Watercube. 'We were looking at 30 or 40 years from now.'

The outside skin is made of a Teflon-like material - ETFE (ethylene-tetrafluoroethylene). Composed of two layers, it is separated by an interior passage that allows the building to breathe like a greenhouse.

The Watercube was built at a cost of more than US$200 million (S$285 million), with donations of US$110 million from people in Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.

There will be 37 venues for the Olympics. Beijing is the site of 31 - 12 new, 11 renovated, and eight temporary structures. Most are located in four clusters in the north of the city. Five more venues for soccer and sailing are located outside Beijing, and equestrian events will be held in Hong Kong.

Organisers will stage a swim meet in the Watercube on Friday to test the facilities. -- AP