The design for the aquatic centre dubbed the "jewel in the crown" of the 2012 Olympic site was picked despite obvious design flaws, it was revealed today.

The panel responsible for selecting the scheme for the swimming pool were warned the building would have a timber ceiling prone to maintenance in the moist conditions. They were also told costs to convert it after the games could spiral out of control.

But, according to documents released under the Freedom of Information Act, the jury voted to press ahead with the plan by architect Zaha Hadid despite the list of concerns.

At the time Keith Mills, who was the chief executive of the 2012 bid, described it as "a spectacular building" with "wow factor" - hinting that the decision in favour of Hadid was based on its architectural rather than practical merits.

Reports - which detail the 2005 discussions chaired by architect Lord Rogers and the then chairman of Sport England Lord Carter - show that from the outset Hadid's design faced "clear technical and organisational issues" and "the detail of the scheme was not as well developed [as its competitors]".

The cost of the building has already trebled to £303 million, but the panel knew three years ago that its use as a community facility after the Olympics was "not well thought-through".

One of the problems addressed was the " maintenance concern over the timber ceiling in an aggressive pool hall environment". Hadid's "seductive" design was chosen from a list of five that included a proposal by Bennetts Associates, currently responsible for rebuilding the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon, dismissed for its "practical approach".

Another, designed by Faulkner Browns - the architect behind the Commonwealth Games pool in Manchester - was rejected as " functionally mundane".

Hugh Robertson, the shadow Olympic minister said: "It appears there was a clear warning in 2005 that the design of the building was unsuitable for being transformed for community use."

By April this year the cost had risen from the original budget of £73 million to £242 million, with an additional £61 million for a footbridge.