Introduction
The Paris Olympics 2024 presented a unique challenge to the contracted design team for the new Olympic Aquatics Centre. Due to limited space, a conventional arrangement of three separate practice diving platforms was not feasible. Following research into specialised lifting solutions, the design team partnered with Edmolift, known for its expertise in custom platform lifts for demanding environments. This collaboration led to the development of a complex, three-level, height-adjustable diving platform lift—the winning entry for the Platform Lift of the Year 2025 award.
Problem
The core issue was accommodating essential training infrastructure within a tightly constrained venue. To meet international competition standards, divers require access to 1M, 2M, and 3M platforms for warm-ups into a foam pit. The traditional method of separate, fixed platforms would have consumed three times the available floor space, creating an unsustainable bottleneck in the new Aquatic Centre, designed by architects VenhoevenCS and Ateliers 2/3/4. The challenge was to integrate all three required heights into a single, compact, and perfectly stable structure.
Solution
The solution was a custom-designed, heavy-duty scissor lift that could ascend to 3M, descend to 1M, and hold an intermediate 2M position. Managed by Edmolift UK’s Darren Papani, the 12-month design process focused on replicating the stability and standards of a fixed concrete diving board.
Key technical aspects of the solution included:
- Custom Scissor Lift: A 3,000 Kg capacity platform to ensure extreme rigidity.
- Safety and Precision: Twin hydraulic cylinders with integrated hose burst valves and independent solenoid valves for enhanced stability and safety. Height adjustments were made millimetre-perfect using optical limit switches.
- Compliance: The platform incorporated an overhang for competition compliance and a replica competition standard barrier system.
- Logistics: The final product was manufactured across Edmolift’s facilities in Sweden and the UK, then shipped in pieces and reassembled on-site with gantry cranes to overcome building access limitations.
Results
The installation of the specialised platform lift was completed by Edmolift site engineers, ready for use by Olympic divers eight weeks before the Games began. The unique solution successfully addressed the space constraint by reducing the required floor area by two-thirds. Furthermore, the Olympic Aquatics Centre, the venue for this innovative installation, will serve as a lasting legacy for the city of Paris, incorporating several sustainable features such as a timber structure, a solar farm providing 20% of pool heating energy, and rainwater harvesting. The project is a testament to specialist engineering, culminating in its recognition as the Platform Lift of the Year 2025.