$135m Adelaide Aquatic Centre redevelopment opens

A $135 million redevelopment of the Adelaide Aquatic Centre is expected to play a significant role in driving economic and social growth across the capital’s inner north, as the long-anticipated community facility prepares to open its doors.

The new centre, located within the North Adelaide parklands between Barton and Fitzroy terraces, opened to ballot winners on January 26th before welcoming the general public the following day.

GALLERY

It replaces the former Adelaide Aquatic Centre, which closed in July 2024 after more than 50 years of operation.

Designed by Adelaide-based JPE Design Studio in collaboration with international practice Warren and Mahoney and senior South Australian Aboriginal man Karl Winda Telfer, the project delivers a contemporary aquatic and recreation hub at the former city pool site. Construction was led by local builder Sarah Constructions and supported around 1500 jobs throughout the build.

Facilities include a 50-metre, 10-lane indoor pool heated to 27 degrees, an outdoor 25-metre, eight-lane pool heated year round, warm-water rehabilitation facilities and dedicated learn-to-swim pools. Across the site are more than 300,000 tiles, over a kilometre of underground plumbing and four million litres of water distributed across six pools. The centre will operate entirely on renewable energy.

A major architectural feature is the extensive use of mass timber, with 52 beams and columns measuring up to 37 metres in length. Among them is a 10.28-tonne beam, the largest of its kind in Australia. The timber elements were milled in Austria, transported to Belgium, shipped to Melbourne and then trucked to Adelaide under police escort.

The family and recreation offering includes four 13-metre-high waterslides stretching a combined 355 metres, reaching speeds of up to 40 kilometres an hour and finishing in an indoor splash zone. A rain curtain and large-scale ray and jellyfish installations further enhance the interior experience. The surrounding parklands have also been refreshed, with 355 new trees planted across the site.

YMCA Aquatic will operate the centre. Royal Life Saving Australia general manager capability and industry R.J. Houston said aquatic facilities deliver strong community value, citing 2025 research showing a $5.40 social return for every dollar invested. With 421 million visits annually, he said projects such as this are critical as access challenges continue to grow nationwide.

Images via The Urban Developer