Beijing profiled: Impressive and Iconic Structures

National Stadium: “Bird’s Nest”

There was no wrong turn taken, this is the correct stadium where Athletics is taking place for the Paralympics. Deemed as the jewel of the Beijing Games, this sports venue is dually a tourist attraction.

The National Stadium is nicknamed the “Bird’s Nest” from the creative design of interlocking cement and steel frames, and a fitting holed-roof. The 330 million EUR (500 million USD), 91,000-seat capacity stadium, is the most eye-catching Paralympic venue with construction officially finishing just this year.

It is believed to be the largest enclosed space in the world, with a total land surface of 258,000 square meters. Keep this in mind when you are planning to meet someone there!

National Aquatics Center: “Water Cube”

The roof and walls of this structure are made up of 3,000 bubble-like shapes with air-filled layers of ETFE (Ethylene Tetrafluoroethylene) membrane, the first surface-use of its kind in China. ETFE is a wonder polymer that is a transparent plastic related to Teflon, and likely to replace glass and plastic in some of the most innovative buildings being designed and constructed today.

A fluctuation of light is allowed to penetrate the nearly transparent ETFE membrane, varying for the winter and summer periods. After the 30-year life of the membrane, the “bubbles” can be restored rather than replaced.

A special moat, with its water recycled every eight hours, has been dug around the structure so that people are kept away from the “bubbles”. Once inside, the public is also strategically unable to come close to the wonder-surface. If you are determined however, you can locate the soon-to-be famous Bubble Bar, in which people do have the needed opportunity to touch this wall (and get a drink).