National Stadium Ready!
On Saturday 28th June, 2008 China's National Stadium was declared complete. This in effect signaled all 37 Olympic venues are ready for the Beijing Olympic Games.
The stadium seats 91,000 spectators in its bowl shaped structure of huge steel beams resembling a bird’s nest. An eye catching building since the unveiling of the winning design by Herzog and Meuron in conjunction with China Architecture Design & Research Institute millions of people are waiting with great anticipation for its grand opening with the commencement of the Beijing Olympic Games at 8 pm on the 8th August, 2008.
Olympic fans booked to enjoy events in the stadium can rest assured that everyone with a seat will have excellent views of the spectacular sporting action in this stunning, yet intimate arena. Australian fans will be especially excited about visiting the stadium for the Olympics because the first gold medal awarded at this magnificent venue was to an Australian, Jared Tallent on April 18 during a test event.
The environmentally friendly stadium uses solar energy and collects 58,000 tonnes of water annually. The water will be used for irrigation and cleaning purposes around the stadium.
International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge is said to have compared China's National Stadium with other iconic buildings like the Sydney Opera House, saying that the stadium would become a landmark of China.
© Beijing-Visitor.com
