The Sandwell Aquatics Centre, Birmingham, was built for the 2022 Commonwealth Games, staging the swimming and diving competitions.

Whitecroft was chosen to manufacture and supply lighting for the entire facility, including the main arena, training pools and auxiliary areas.

A key element of the brief was to reduce glare in areas of the main arena to maintain visual comfort for competitors and spectators, so before installation Whitecroft used DIALux software and AutoCAD lighting layouts of the main pool hall to move and adjust the lighting until the right levels of illuminance were achieved.

Because of the highly corrosive atmosphere created by indoor swimming pools, Whitecroft installed 155 of its Selise Maxi circular floodlights, made from corrosive resistant die-cast aluminium. All structural fixings were high-grade stainless steel in accordance with EN 13451-1 swimming pool equipment regulations. Both the lighting and fixings were also treated with three layers of protective powder coating. In total 1,700 luminaires were installed, all with replaceable parts, which, over time, will cut down on the use of new materials and waste, and reduce the whole life carbon of each product. 

Whitecroft also supplied the emergency lighting, with the luminaires in main pool, studio pool, dry dive and sports halls fed from static inverter systems in case of power failure.