Arching above and around the main structure is a stunning lattice of interwoven box-section steel columns, recalling the crackle glaze on a Chinese ceramic vase. This exoskeleton encloses and protects the stadium while admitting air and light. Workers clipped onto harnesses crawl over the superstructure like ants.
The stadium is a spectacular contrast to the banal office blocks and utilitarian apartments around it. Designed by Swiss architect Herzog & de Meuron, British engineer Arup Sport and their local partner China Architecture Design & Research Group, it is an iconic development intended to demonstrate China’s cultural and economic progress to the watching billions in 2008.
The project has been dubbed “the bird’s nest” by the public and such symbolism is important in China. A bird’s nest is a harmonious natural object and a dish eaten on special occasions.
“It’s clear they were looking for something architecturally dramatic. The overall excitement of the building will be amazing,” says J Parrish, architectural director of Arup Sport. “Without doubt, the Chinese will put on an amazing show.”
The stadium is a spectacular contrast to the banal office blocks and utilitarian apartments around it. Designed by Swiss architect Herzog & de Meuron, British engineer Arup Sport and their local partner China Architecture Design & Research Group, it is an iconic development intended to demonstrate China’s cultural and economic progress to the watching billions in 2008.
The project has been dubbed “the bird’s nest” by the public and such symbolism is important in China. A bird’s nest is a harmonious natural object and a dish eaten on special occasions.
“It’s clear they were looking for something architecturally dramatic. The overall excitement of the building will be amazing,” says J Parrish, architectural director of Arup Sport. “Without doubt, the Chinese will put on an amazing show.”
Some of the stadium’s statistics are similarly awe-inspiring. The structure is 320m long, nearly 300m wide and 69m tall. It boasts unwrapped steel weighing a total of 42,500 tonnes. There will be seating for 91,000 spectators. Yet the total cost is just 3bn yuan (£198m), a quarter of the price of London’s Wembley stadium, which has a similar capacity.
Another construction headache is that the stadium stands in a seismic zone and has to be able to withstand an earthquake. “The stadium and facilities have been divided into six or eight sections and the steel exoskeleton is independent of the structure inside, so that they can all move separately,” says Parrish.
No comments:
Post a Comment