Bird's Nest

Bird's Nest, also named the National Stadium, which was the main venue of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. It was designed by Pritzker Architecture Prize Gainer Jacques Herzog, de Meuron and Chinese Architect Li Xinggang, shaped as a bird's nest, and looks like a cradle.

The National Stadium began on December 24, 2003 and was completed in March, 2008. The total construction cost was more than 2.2 billion.

The shape structure of Bird's Nest is a colossal saddle-shaped elliptic steel structure with 24 truss pillars in total. It is 333 meters long from north to south, 294 meters wide from east to west, the highest point is 68.5 meters and the lowest point is 42.8 meters. It is the largest world's steel structure. The outside was covered by a sort of membrane, it got the demand of rain-proof, and sunshine can go through transparent roof to satisfy the demand of lawn growing. This special membrane can also help lighting within the stadium and effectively diminish glare and shadowing, allowing a more favorable competition environment.

The design of "Bird's Nest" embodied human caring fully, wherever spectators sit, the sightline is about 140 meters from the centerfield.

The "Bird's Nest" hosted the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, athletic events, and football final of Beijing 2008 Olympic Games which was from August 8 to August 24, 2008 and Beijing 2008 Paralympics from September 6 to September 17, 2008. After the Olympics, the stadium would continue to host international and domestic sporting events, such as football.