Water Cube model, 2006.

CHINA - OCTOBER 04: Model of the units used to construct the Beijing National Swimming Centre. The steel structure of the Cube was inspired by a blob of soap bubbles which is held together by the skins around each pocket of air. The Cube is made of plastic bubbles but all of its strength comes from the steel frame that outlines the edges where three bubbles meet. The Cube is so complex that its construction wouldn't have been possible without powerful computer programs. The frame has 22,000 tubes that come together at 12,000 nodes, each one individually designed to support perfectly the pressures it will be under. The whole building is covered with lightweight plastic pockets. These not only protect the steel frame from corrosive pool chemicals, but also turn the building into a giant greenhouse - catching the Sun's warmth to heat the pools inside. (Photo by SSPL/Getty Images)