Bird's nest

"Affectionately known as Bird's Nest, it is situated in Olympic Green Village, Chaoyang District. It was designed as the main stadium of 2008 Beijing Olympics. 

 

It was built at the cost of RM200 million and requires maintenance at about RM5 million a year. Its seating capacity is about 90,000 people.

 

The Olympic events of track and field, football, gavelock, weight throw and discus were held there. It was here that Usain Bolt created the Olympics record in the 100 meters.

However Since October, 2008, after the Olympics ended, it has been opened as a tourist attraction. Now, it is the center of international or domestic sports competition and recreation activities.

The design of this large stadium was accomplished together by Swiss architects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron and Chinese architect Li Xinggang and the others. 

 

The architects brilliantly exposed the steel structures entirely and left them in the most natural appearance. 

 

The form of the stadium looks like a big nest which embraces and nurses human beings. Also it looks rather like a cradle bearing   hope for the future.

 

The construction of this building started on December 24, 2003. On July, 2004, the project was stopped temporarily due to the amendment of the design. 

 

On December 27 of the same year, the construction was resumed and finished in March, 2008....."

National Stadium is like a huge bird's nest.

Inside Scene

- Updates from China Travel Guide

All I can say that this is an iconic building which is really stunning from far off.  However going near it all I could comment was that it needed a good wash.

Apparently in winter, it doubles up as a large ski resort in urban Beijing.