Impossible to miss its unique design the Beijing National Stadium stands before us. This iconic structure is often called the Bird’s Nest. Its interwoven steel beams create a striking visual. It resembles a bird’s nest.
The Bird’s Nest is more than just a pretty picture. It embodies Chinese design philosophy. This philosophy emphasizes balance and harmony.
Chinese people believe in yin and yang. Yin represents feminine traits. Yang represents masculine traits. The Bird’s Nest reflects this balance. Bird suggests masculinity. Nest symbolizes femininity. The stadium’s name embodies yin-yang harmony.
Notice the nearby National Aquatics Center. It is also known as the Water Cube. The Bird’s Nest and Water Cube complement each other. One is steel. One is water. One is soft. One is rigid. The Water Cube is square like the earth. The Bird’s Nest is oval like the heavens. Athletes in these buildings embody harmony. It is a harmonious coexistence of heaven earth and man.
The Bird’s Nest was designed by Swiss architects Herzog de Meuron and Chinese architect Li Xinggang. The design needed to be inspiring. It also needed to withstand earthquakes. Beijing sits in an active seismic zone.
The Bird’s Nest can withstand an earthquake. It is designed to resist a seismic level 8 event. The stadium has separated its steel and concrete structures. Steel and concrete vibrate differently. Separation prevents them from ripping apart during a quake. The spectator area is divided into six parts. Each part vibrates differently. These divisions act like expansion joints. The stadium can evacuate thousands of people quickly in eight minutes.
Construction began in 2003 and ended in 2008. It cost over 423 million US dollars. The stadium is 333 meters long. It is 294 meters wide. Its highest point reaches 68.5 meters.
The inspiration came from Chinese ceramics. Designers used a crazed vessel as a model. They also considered a single thread around a ball.
The Bird’s Nest used a special steel. It was the purest steel developed in China. This made the structure strong but lightweight. A retractable roof was planned. However it was scrapped to save money.
The structure is covered in a polymer membrane. It is rain-proof but translucent. Sunlight can reach the grass. The membrane enhances lighting. It reduces glare and shadows. The Bird’s Nest uses sound-absorbing materials. It also uses computational fluid dynamics. This helps audiences hear clearly. It also provides natural light and ventilation.
The Bird’s Nest held 91000 spectators during the 2008 Olympics. Now it holds 80000. Temporary seats were removed. The stadium hosted the Olympics opening ceremony. It also hosted athletic events and the football final. The Bird’s Nest hosted the 2008 Paralympics as well.
Today the Bird’s Nest hosts sports events. It also holds concerts and sightseeing tours. The Bird’s Nest Ice and Snow Festival is held here. People can enjoy skiing and ice bumper cars. The Bird’s Nest will host the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2022 Winter Olympics. It will be the only stadium to host both Summer and Winter Olympics ceremonies.
The Bird’s Nest sits on the Olympic Green. It is north of central Beijing. It lies on the city’s north-south axis. This axis also holds the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square.