Art, literature & culture

Construction of Beijing National Stadium

March 2008

The Beijing National Stadium, nicknamed the Bird's Nest because of its woven steel lattice, was built as the main stadium of the 2008 Summer Olympics. It was designed by the Swiss architects Herzog and de Meuron, with the artist Ai Weiwei as an artistic consultant, together with the China Architecture Design and Research Group. Construction began in the middle of the decade, and the stadium was completed shortly before the Games and hosted their opening and closing ceremonies, as well as athletics events. In 2022 it became the first stadium to host the opening ceremonies of both Summer and Winter Olympics. It has since been used for concerts, football matches and other events, and has become a landmark of the city.

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