National Aquatics Center
Created by a consortium led by Australian firm PTW Architects and the British engineering company Ove Arup, the “Water Cube” was designed to resemble an “infinite array” of soap bubbles based on the research of two Irish physicists from Trinity College in Dublin. In addition to giving the building a unique appearance, the bubble-based design allows the structure to withstand substantially large earthquakes.
There are 4,000 inflatable bubbles surrounding 22,000 curved steel beams. The bubbles are made from ETFE, an ultra-thin plastic that is 100 times lighter than glass. The plastic cells capture 20% of the solar energy falling on the building – as much as a roof covered in photovoltaic panels – which will be harnessed to heat pools and the interior as a whole. The venue will also use a complex system of rainwater collection and wastewater filtration to flush toilets, clean floors and water the grass outside.
Constructed period: Dec 2003-Jan 2008
Address: Olympic Park, Chaoyang District
Cost: US$137 million
Size: 80,000 sqm
Events: Swimming, diving, water polo and synchronized swimming
Laoshan Velodrome
Most Beijingers agree, the Laoshan Velodrome looks like a UFO, but its space-age ceiling – an umbrella-shaped dome resting on a network of spoke-like steel beams extending from a circular central hub – is actually designed to look like the front wheel of a racing bicycle. Schuermann Architects, a German firm that specializes in bicycle venues, designed the Velodrome.
Linked to the track-racing venue by an elevator is the first-ever Olympic bicycle motocross (BMX) track. BMX events will make their Olympic debut in Beijing and the track near the Laoshan Velodrome is causing a lot of buzz in the BMX world. The International Cycling Union team that helped design and build the track has called it the biggest and most challenging BMX course in the world. Unlike the Velodrome itself, the BMX track is listed as a temporary venue, but BMX enthusiasts hope it will remain a fixture.
Constructed period: Oct 2004-Oct 2007
Address: Laoshan Xijie, Shijingshan District
Cost: US$53 million
Size: 33,000 sqm
Events: Cycling (track)
National Stadium
Known as the “Bird’s Nest,” the National Stadium is one of the games’ most eye-catching and talked-about structures. Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron have said the original inspiration for the structure’s avant-garde appearance came from the interwoven look of a Chinese basket.
When architectural firms began competing for rights to design the building, Herzog & de Meuron used the analogy of a bird’s nest to describe the stadium’s internal construction, not its external appearance. Nevertheless, the image of a bird’s nest caught on immediately with the Chinese public and this wave of support probably helped Herzog & de Meuron’s win the design rights.
When originally conceived, Olympic planners required designs of the stadium to include a retractable roof, and the original intention behind the stadium’s distinctive crossed metal style was to hide the two conspicuous bars needed to make such a roof. The roof idea was ultimately scrapped for cost reasons.
Constructed period: Dec 2003-Mar 2008
Address: Olympic Park, Chaoyang District
Cost: US$315 million
Size: 260,000 sqm
Events: Athletics and football
National Indoor Stadium
Next to the arresting Bird’s Nest and Water Cube in the Olympic village, the National Indoor Stadium is picture of relatively conventional Chinese architecture. Jointly designed by the Beijing Institute of Architectural Design and German firm Glöckner Architekten GmbH, the stadium combines classic Chinese aesthetics with modern technologies – its curved roof is designed to resemble an unfurled traditional Chinese folding fan and is lined with more than 1,100 solar panels.
The curved roof was itself a technological achievement. When it came time to mount the expansive ceiling atop the complicated truss system, designers grew concerned about the curved structure’s sturdiness. They built a model one-tenth to scale and situated hundreds of computerized sensors to determine whether the “stretched” trusses could withstand the stress. The results convinced them that they could proceed as planned. Workers finally assembled the steel roof on the ground and employed nine robots to finish the job up top.
Constructed period: May 2005-Nov 2007
Address: Olympic Park, Chaoyang District
Cost: US$89 million
Size: 81,000 sqm
Events: Artistic gymnastics, trampolining and handball
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