BEIJING NATIONAL STADIUM

situated at the Olympic Green, the stadium worth US$428 million. The design was awarded to a submission from the Swiss architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron in April 2003 after a behest process that included 13 final submissions. The design, which took up from the study of Chinese ceramics, introducing steel beams in order to hide supports for the retractable roof; giving the stadium the look of a bird's nest. Leading Chinese artist Ai Weiwei was the artistic consultant on the project The retractile 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 protocal  opened on 28 June 2008. A shopping mall and a hotel are planned to be constructed in improving usage of the stadium, which has had trouble attracting events, football and otherwise, behind the Olympics The eastern and western stands of Beijing National Stadium are higher than northern and southern stands, in order to improve visibleness. A -day rainwater collector is located near the stadium; after purification of water is done, it is used throughout and around the stadium. Pipes placed under the playing surface gather heat, in the winter to warm the stadium and coldness in the summer to cool the stadium. The stadium's design importantly called for a capacity of 100,000 people; however 9,000 were removed during a simplification of the design. The new total of 91,000 was cleared further when 11,000 temporary seats were removed after the 2008 Olympics; bringing the stadium's capacity to 80,000. The far end seat is 460 feet (140 meters) from center field. Temperature and airflow of every surface were advanced to increase ventilation.

Beijing National Stadium hosted the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, athletic events, football  heat up final of the 2008 Summer Olympics from 8 to 24 August 2008. The stadium also hosted the Opening and Closing parties and athletic events of the 2008 Summer Paralympics from 6 to 17 September 2008. Though designed for track & field events of the Olympics, the stadium forwards to host sporting events, such as football, afterwards. A shopping mall and a hotel, with rooms looking the fields, are planned to help increase use after the Olympics. Li stated, "This will become the most usefull public space in Beijing."