The National Stadium in China
1 min readLocated at the southern part of the Olympic Green in Beijing, the National Stadium is the main stadium of the 29th Olympics in 2008.
Occupying an area of 210,000 square meters, it has a floor space of 258,000 square meters. Its seating capacity has a total of 91,000, including 11,000 temporary seats. The National Stadium is located on a gentle rise in the center of the Olympic complex.
The stadium looks like a pure structure. The structural elements support each other and converge into a grid-like formation almost like a bird’s nest with its interlocking branches. The design meets all the requirements of an Olympic Stadium, but without communicating the sameness dominated by large spans and digital screens. The spatial effect of the stadium is unusual yet simple, thus creating a unique historical landmark for the 2008 Olympics. The main body of the National Stadium is a huge steel structure weighing 42,000 tons. It is 333 meters long from north to south, 294 meters wide from east to west, and 69 meters tall.
It has a design life of 100 years. Its fire resistance capability is first-rate, and it can stand up to violent earthquakes. The water-resistance capability of its underground project is also first-rate. The opening and closing ceremonies of the Beijing Olympic Games and the Paralympic Games , the track and field competitions, and the football finals were successfully held here. After the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, the stadium has become a large sports and entertainment complex.
