Bird’s Nest (National Stadium)

Bird’s Nest (National Stadium)

The National Stadium (“Bird’s Nest”) is located in the southern part of the central area of Beijing Olympic Park. It has a floor area of 258,000 square meters, covers a site area of 204,000 square meters, and accommodates 91,000 spectator seats, including approximately 80,000 fixed seats. The National Stadium project is a top-grade sports facility, with the main structure designed to have a service life of 100 years. The main building is elliptical, measuring 333 meters from north to south and 296 meters from east to west, with a maximum height of 69 meters. Construction of the National Stadium began on December 24, 2003, and it was completed on June 28, 2008.

The National Stadium is situated on a gradually rising base platform. Visitors can access the stadium from Olympic Park along the base platform. The north side of the base features a sunken warm-up area, which connects to the main competition venue inside the stadium via athlete passageways. The complex ancillary parts of the National Stadium and post-event commercial facilities are arranged beneath the elevated ground, making the access routes for different groups more rational while maintaining the clarity, purity, and integrity of the main structure's appearance. The part of the stadium above the base consists of seven levels, housing spectator service facilities, media work areas, and VIP reception zones. The part below the base includes three levels, featuring a ground-level internal loop road, parking spaces, and numerous functional rooms. The bowl-shaped stands are divided into upper, middle, and lower tiers, with private boxes and their seating areas set between the middle and lower tiers.

During the [Olympics], the National Stadium served as the main venue, hosting the opening and closing ceremonies, track and field events, and the football finals. The spectacular opening and closing ceremony performances complemented the grand and imposing structure of the Bird’s Nest, stunning audiences worldwide. Outstanding athletes such as Usain Bolt and Yelena Isinbayeva achieved record-breaking performances at the Bird’s Nest.

The main body of the National Stadium features an outer “Bird’s Nest” form woven from a series of steel trusses surrounding the bowl-shaped seating area. Its spatial structure is novel, seamlessly integrating architecture and structure. It is unique, aesthetically pleasing, and highly impactful, with a strong visual effect that fully embodies the beauty of natural harmony.

The steel structure of the National Stadium is one of the largest-span sports buildings in the world. Its roof envelope structure consists of a steel structure covered with a double-layer membrane system — namely, a transparent upper ETFE membrane fixed between the upper chords of the steel structure, and a semi-transparent lower PTFE acoustic ceiling fixed beneath the lower chords of the steel structure and along the inner ring sidewalls.

Advanced energy-saving designs and environmental protection measures were adopted during the construction of the National Stadium, such as effective natural ventilation and daylighting, comprehensive rainwater recycling, utilization of renewable geothermal energy, and application of solar photovoltaic power generation technology. Beneath the football field in the Bird’s Nest are 312 geothermal heat pump system wells. These wells absorb heat stored in the soil through underground heat exchange pipes to provide heating for the Bird’s Nest in winter, and absorb coolness from the soil to provide cooling in summer, saving significant amounts of electricity. The top of the Bird’s Nest is equipped with a dedicated rainwater collection system. The collected rainwater is ultimately transformed into recycled water for landscaping, toilet flushing, firefighting, and even track washing. These numerous advanced green initiatives have made the National Stadium a true large-scale “green building.”

Suggested Duration

2 hours

Transportation

1. Bus:

Take bus 82, 207, or 538 and get off at Beichen East Road Station;

Take bus 81, 82, 510, or 607 and get off at Beichen West Bridge North Station;

Take bus 207, 380, 406, 408, 415, 518, 538, or Special Line 40 and get off at Huizhongli Station;

Take bus 386, 611, 656, 658, 660, 689, 696, 740, 753, 939, 944, 983, or Yuntong 113 and get off at Asian Games Village Station;

Take bus 108, 124, 207, 215, 328, 379, 380, 406, 408, 419, 426, 479, 611, 620, 653, 694, 758, 984, 985, Special Line 2, Special Line 11, or Yuntong 110 and get off at Anhuiqiao North Station;

2. Subway:

Exit from Exit B2 of Olympic Sports Center Station on Subway Line 8

Admission

Regular ticket: 50 RMB; combined ticket with Skywalk: 80 RMB; combined ticket with Skywalk and VIP area: 110 RMB.

Opening Hours

9:00–19:00 (April–October)

9:00–17:30 (November–March)

Location

Olympic Park, Beisihuan Middle Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing (near Beichen East Road)