Olympic venues
Description:
One of the brightest events in the history of China and the city of Beijing was the 29th Summer Olympic Games in 2008 and the 13th Paralympic Games. They brought with them many long-awaited victories and unexpected records, as well as left an imprint on the architecture and infrastructure of the capital. Thanks to them, new, interesting objects appeared in Beijing, which are now gladly shown to tourists and travelers.
The main attractions of the Olympic Village are the Bird Nest National Stadium and the Water Cube National Water Center.
Bird's Nest Stadium
Beijing National Stadium, often referred to as Bird's Nest, is one of the two main sports venues for the 2008 Olympic Games. The stadium can accommodate 91,000 people (including 11,000 temporary seats). The opening and closing ceremonies of the games, as well as athletics competitions and finals of the football championship were held here. The stadium was designed by the Swiss company Herzog & DeMeuron and the China Architecture Design Institute. The shape of this structure resembles a bird’s nest, hence the second name, known throughout the world.
The stadium cost $423 million to build. It is considered the largest steel structure in the world. In 2001, even before Beijing was declared the capital of the Summer Olympic Games, a competition was held for the designs of the main stadium. Among the 13 final projects, the best was developed by a Swiss firm, which won the competition in April 2003.
The stadium was founded on December 24, 2003. Up to 17,000 workers worked on its construction. The total weight of steel structures was 110,000 tons. On May 14, 2008, in just 24 hours, a grass covering of 7811 square meters was laid at the stadium. Beijing National Stadium officially opened on June 28, 2008.
The stadium is practically unused. So, of the big events, the celebration of the anniversary of the construction of the stadium and the opera Turandot was held here.
Swimming complex water cube
The Water Cube, a unique structure, was built by the Australian company PTW for the 2008 Olympics. The total area of the complex is about 70 thousand square meters. The design used elements that look like a crystal lattice of water bubbles, which, however, have high strength and a small specific mass. The material from which the parts are made was designed specifically for this building.
The outer walls and roof are made in the form of bubbles, which form a disorderly pattern. This project won 4 awards in various competitions.
The water center can accommodate up to 17,000 spectators.
The problem of power supply was solved in the swimming center. The surface of the building receives solar energy, transferring it to heating water and rooms. And in the hot summer, thanks to the reflective coating inside the crystals, the temperature does not rise to high values. Beijing plans to free the complex from the supply of water, which is a shortage in the Chinese capital. The water cube will collect rainwater on its wide roof and use it for swimming pools.
During the Olympics, swimming competitions, diving and synchronized swimming were held here. 25 world records were set here.