Post by blackcloud on Nov 11, 2013 4:53:08 GMT -5
Formally known as the National Stadium in Beijing (must-see for your last minute China travel deals), the main site of the 2008 Olympic Games quickly gained the name Bird¡¯s Nest due to its unique design and unusual shape. A contest was held to find a suitable deign, and in December 2003 work began on the construction of the stadium designed by a team of chinese and swiss architects; Jacques Herzog, Pierre de Meuron, Stefan Marbach and Li Xinggang, with the famous chinese artist Ai Weiwei as artistic consultant. Completed in June 2008, the stadium is now the largest steel structure in the world, incorporating an incredible 110,000 tons of the material, all made in China. Occupying a total area of 258,000 square meters and with a capacity of 100,000 spectators, with an additional 20,000 temporary seats, it is one of the largest venues in the world, and is now used for large scale events and high level sports events.
The structure is especially striking at night, when it is lit with hundreds of coloured lights. All of the stadium's power comes from solar energy, promoting China's increasing use of renewable energy sources. The stadium also uses rainwater wherever possible, and has a renewable water cooling/heating system which has no negative environmental impact. Today the Olympic Village (an option for your best tours of China) and Bird's Nest are still hugely popular with both locals and visitors, and still welcomes thousands of people each day.
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