East Kilbride as a new town was designed to provide elements culture, sport, and heritage for residents so as to create a sense of belonging and place. Key cultural facilities in the town include the Dollan Aqua centre. This building is regarded as an outstanding and rare example of a mid-20th century public amenity building in a striking internationally inspired design. It was the first champion-sized swimming pool in Scotland and was inspired by Pier Luigi Nervi's Olympic complex in Rome; it is also very similar to the Olympic complex built for the 1964 Japanese Olympic Games.