The Bird’s Nest - Beijing National Stadium
The construction on this building began in March of 2004 and was just recently completed. It has 80,000 permanent seats and will add another 11,000 temporary seats for the 2008 Olympic games.
This is a huge structure and Herzog and DeMeuron have contributed some green solutions into their design including a rainwater collecting system, a translucent roof providing sunlight for the natural grass below and a passive ventilation system. “Just as birds stuff the spaces between the woven twigs of their nests with a soft filler, the spaces in the structure of the stadium will be filled with inflated cushions to regulate wind, weather and sunlight.”
The Bird’s Nest at Night
For some interesting information on the bird’s nest and more great pictures check out Inhabitat.
Putting all the controversy about the 2008 Olympics, China and Tibet aside, I like the design of “The Bird’s Nest” and appreciate the designer’s green consideration.
