History of the construction of the National Stadium

The "Bird's Nest", a great architectural work known as the "fourth generation stadium".

Openness, justice and fairness in opening up

October 25, 2002 Authorized by the Beijing Municipal People's Government and the Organizing Committee of the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, the Beijing Municipal Commission of Planning called for a global call for architectural conceptual designs for the National Stadium of China, the main stadium of the 2008 Olympic Games.

The National Stadium is the first Beijing Olympic stadium facility to enter the architectural design process. According to the Beijing Municipal Planning Commission, the architectural concept design competition for the National Stadium is divided into two phases: the first phase is pre-qualification; the second phase is the official competition. As of November 20, 2002, the competition office*** received valid pre-qualification documents from 44 famous design units. After strict pre-qualification, 14 design units were finally determined to enter the formal program competition, and they came from China, the United States, France, Italy, Germany, Australia, Japan, Canada, Switzerland, Mexico and other countries and regions.

On March 18, 2003, 13 renowned and experienced architectural firms and design consortia from around the world entered the competition and sent their vision of China's National Stadium to Beijing. 2 of the 13 designs were domestic, 8 were foreign, and 3 were Chinese-foreign collaborations.

In the subsequent program evaluation. By the Chinese Academy of Engineering academician Guan Zhaoye and the Dutch architect Koolhaas and other 13 authority composed of the evaluation committee on the entries of strict evaluation, repeated comparison, careful screening, after two rounds of secret ballot, elected three outstanding programs, respectively, by the Swiss Herzog and de Mellon West design company and the China Academy of Architectural Design Institute of the joint design completed the The "Bird's Nest", designed by Herzog & de Meuron West from Switzerland in collaboration with the China Academy of Architectural Design, the "Floating Open Roof" designed by the Beijing Municipal Academy of Architectural Design, and the "Sky Stadium Ice World", designed by the Japan-based Sato Sogo Project in collaboration with the Tsinghua University Academy of Architectural Design, China. The "Sky Stadium Ice World" designed by Sato Sogo Corporation in cooperation with Tsinghua University Architectural Design and Research Institute, China. All 13 designs were exhibited at the Beijing International Convention Center for public comment. The "Bird's Nest" was ranked first, showing a considerable degree of agreement between the audience and the jury. After careful study by the decision-making authorities, the "Bird's Nest" was finally recognized as the final implementation plan for the China National Stadium, the main stadium of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Meeting Olympic needs, focusing on "post-Olympic development"

The components of the entire stadium structure support each other, forming a grid-like structure that looks like a bird's nest made of tree branches, with a gray mineral-like steel mesh covered by a transparent membrane material, which contains an earthy red bowl-shaped stadium. The grandstand is a bowl-shaped stadium in earthy red. Here, the traditional Chinese culture of hollowing, ceramic patterns, and the splendor and warmth of the color red blend seamlessly with the most advanced modern steel design.

The entire building is linked by Disney's giant mesh structure, without a single column inside, and the grandstand is a complete, unobstructed bowl shape, like a giant container, giving the stadium incredible drama and unparalleled power.

Speeding up institutional and mechanism innovation in exploration

As a social welfare project, the construction of stadiums in the past was generally invested by the government and operated by the competent authorities, with financial subsidies for any losses incurred. This has led to many sports facilities after the completion of the government financial subsidies often become a long-term "baggage" can not get rid of. Beijing is determined to "change the brain". In the face of the largest ever stadium construction, Beijing to the market economy way of thinking, in reference to foreign advanced experience on the basis of accelerating institutional innovation and mechanism innovation, and actively explore the "government-led, market-oriented operation" of the Olympic project construction and operation mode of operation. Considering the large amount of investment in the National Stadium and the high cost of post-game operation, Beijing has offered quite favorable conditions to attract investors. In addition to the 58% investment made by the state-owned company on behalf of the government, Beijing has also given preferential policies in terms of land transfer and demolition and relocation. The National Stadium project is built according to the PPP (Private + Public + Partnership) model, which is a project company formed by the Beijing Municipal State-owned Assets Management Company and the China CITIC Group Consortium***, mainly responsible for the investment and financing, construction, operation and management of the National Stadium. The CITIC consortium contributes 42% of the capital, while Beijing State-owned Assets Management Co., Ltd. provides 58% of the financial support on behalf of the government. The CITIC consortium also has a 30-year post-game franchise.

Sports stadium sponsorship has been in its infancy in China, compared with the United States and other countries that have mature experience in venue sponsorship. Taking advantage of the Olympic Games, the development of China's sports industry will drive the growth of the venue sponsorship market. By developing a professional and efficient sponsorship platform, the National Stadium will attract a large number of powerful potential clients to participate in the construction and operation of the National Stadium, bringing infinite vitality to the development of the stadium while enabling sponsors to showcase their quality products and corporate image through the window of the National Stadium. Construction start: December 24, 2003

Successful completion: March 2008

The National Stadium openly solicited planning and design proposals from all over the world;

July 02, 2002: 89 planning and design proposals were received;

January-February 2003: five qualified National Stadium project March 19-25, 2003: the Jury voted that the "Bird's Nest" proposal was the overwhelming winner;

December 24, 2003: preparations were made for the commencement of the construction of the National Stadium for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, and the groundbreaking ceremony was held. The foundation stone laying ceremony was held;

February 2004: 100 foundation piles of the National Stadium were completed, and the "Bird's Nest" project began substantive structural construction;

July 30, 2004: the safety and economic issues of the Olympic venues became the focus of July 30th. The "Bird's Nest" completely stops construction;

August 31, 2004: "Bird's Nest" eliminates the openable roof, the program adjusts the style unchanged;

August 2004: "Bird's Nest" unveils the rendering;

August 2004: "Bird's Nest

December 2004: the main stadium of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games "Bird's Nest" resumed construction;

May 09, 2005: "Bird's Nest" National Stadium zero floor construction;

August 31, 2004: "Bird's Nest" canceled the open roof. The construction of the zero floor of the National Stadium;

June 15, 2005: the construction of the first floor of the National Stadium

September 14, 2005: the construction of the second floor of the National Stadium

October 21, 2005: Construction of the fourth floor of the Bird's Nest National Stadium

October 28, 2005: Ceremony of hoisting the first steel component of the Bird's Nest

November 15, 2005: Construction of the main concrete structure. The structure was topped out a month earlier than expected.

January 2006: Construction of the mixed soil structure was completed, the main steel structure column footings were all installed, and the installation of the roof steel structure began

April - May 2006: IOC members visited the Bird's Nest site.

August 26-31, 2006: The steel structure of the Bird's Nest was welded together, and the entire steel structure of the Bird's Nest will be integrated.

September 17, 2006: The "Bird's Nest" project of the National Stadium, after more than two years of construction, completed the last part of the steel structure construction on September 17th - the whole unloading.