National Stadium (Bird’s Nest), Beijing
2004-08
Arup, Herzog & De Meuron Architekten AG, China Architecture Design
& Research Group
The Centrepiece of Beijing Olympics
Photo © Arup_Ben McMillan
The National Stadium will host the opening and closing ceremonies of the
29th Olympiad, as well as athletic track and field events. On completion
it
will have a capacity of 91 000 seats, including 11 000 temporary seats
for
the duration of the Games.
The Stadium is located in the Olympic Green, the focal point for the
Beijing Games. The building’s vast scale and dramatic form will create
a new icon for China and the City of Beijing. The circular form of the
Stadium represents Heaven, while the adjacent square form of the
National Aquatics Centre, also design-engineered by Arup, is a reflection
of the Chinese symbol for Earth.
Photo © Arup_Ben McMillan
Although the structural form of the Stadium is popularly described as
a
‘bird’s nest’, the pattern was initially inspired by Chinese
style ‘crazed’
pottery, typically found in Beijing markets, and the randomness of the
natural world. Although seemingly arbitrary, the pattern abides by
complex rules from which Arup was able to define the geometry.
Without this, the Stadium would be impossible to build.
Photo © Marcel Lam
To reduce costs, the outside of the Stadium needed to have minimum
surface area while also being able to contain the entire structure;
therefore, Arup designed the seating bowl first and then the outside
façade to wrap around it. The bowl is designed to optimise spectator
sight lines and minimise distance between seats and the field where
action takes place.
The Stadium is located in one of the world’s most seismic zones and
therefore needs to withstand major earthquakes. Arup used advanced
computer analysis to test the structure under earthquake of different
intensity and direction.
Photo © Arup_Ben McMillan
The National Stadium is designed in such a way that the spectator will
be left wondering which aspects of the structure are functional and which
have been included for appearance alone. The Stadium combines a
sense of chaos with one of order.
Client
National Stadium Co Ltd
Arup Scope of Work
Full multidisciplinary service including
sports architecture, structural, mechanical,
electrical and public health engineering,
acoustics, fire strategy, sports lighting and
wind engineering
Seating Capacity
91 000 including 11 000 temporary seats
for the Games
Gross Floor Area
254 600m2
Height
Maximum 69.2m (266.4ft) above
pitch level
Design Consortium
Arup, Herzog & De Meuron Architekten
AG, China Architecture Design &
Research Group
Completion Date
Early 2008
Beijing Olympic
Building
Beijing Airport
Building
Central Chinese Television Tower Beijing
Building
Beijing Theatre
Beijing TV Building
Beijing Architecture
Photos
Beijing Building
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Chinese Architecture
Beijing Birds Nest Building
- page : adrian welch / isabelle lomholt