National Stadium

Beijing National Stadium, officially the National Stadium, also known as the Bird’s Nest (鸟巢 Niǎocháo), is a stadium in Beijing, China. The stadium was designed for use throughout the 2008 Summer Olympics and Paralympics

Located in the Olympic Green, the stadium cost US$423 million.  The design, which originated from the study of Chinese ceramics, implemented steel beams in order to hide supports for the retractable roof; giving the stadium the appearance of a bird’s nest. Leading Chinese artist Ai Weiwei was the artistic consultant on the project.

The retractable roof was later removed from the design after inspiring the stadium’s most recognizable aspect. Ground was broken on 24 December 2003 and the stadium officially opened on 28 June 2008. A shopping mall and a hotel are planned to be constructed to increase use of the stadium, which has had trouble attracting events, football and otherwise, after the Olympics

Architects:Herzog and de Meuron of Switzerland,who won the presstigious Pritzker Prize for work at London’s Tate Modern and the Ricola Marketing Building in Laufen,Switzerland