Truemors
is reporting from
Member
NP Rank:
NP Rank:
Beijing: Bird's Nest is Ready for the Olympics
Share: 
by Jordan Yerman | June 28, 2008 at 06:42 am
327 views | 0 Recommendations | 2 comments
Videos
Photos
The centerpiece of Beijing's Olympic construction, the Bird's Nest, is complete, according to officials. No word, though, on air quality, as every photo I see of this admittedly awesome structure is darkened by smog.
The 91,000-seat stadium will host the Olympics' opening and closing ceremonies as well as athletics events.
A network of steel girders gives the stadium its nest-like appearance. All 37 venues for the Games are now ready.
The International Olympic Committee has praised Beijing's preparations, but said air quality was a concern.
The Bird's Nest - or National Stadium - was designed by award-winning Swiss firm Herzog and de Meuron and Chinese architect Li Xinggang.
The design beat dozens of other entries in a worldwide competition held in 2003.
"The Bird's Nest is the last completed Olympic venue but the best," said project manager Tan Xiaochun.
The project was completed at a cost of $500m (£250m).
The stadium will host the opening and closing ceremonies of the 29th Olympiad, as well as track and field, and soccer events. On completion it will have a total capacity of 91 000. 11 000 temporary seating will be removed after the Game, leaving a permanent capacity of 80 000.
What is NowPublic?
NowPublic lets people work together to cover news events around the world.
Crowd Power
These members have powered this story:
Jordan Yerman
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
rpshen
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (2)
at 07:29 on June 28th, 2008
so true. there is an insane amount of smog in major Chinese cities. The sky is never blue.
at 19:19 on September 23rd, 2008
All around the world have seen this amazing architectural stadium through Beijing Olympics 2008. I think there is no one like it in the rest of the world. It is not a surprise that the Chinese are very proud of it. If I were a Chinese, I would have the same feeling. This kind of work is surely a remarkable breakthrough in engineering and architecture field. Besides, Beijing Olympics 2008 is the grandest of all held in the past. No one will have any doubt about it.
Commented by,
Min Aung Soe (Burma)